Even after the deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis, President Trump’s approval numbers have barely moved.
Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot after she drove toward an ICE officer during a protest over Trump’s immigration crackdown. The officer says he acted in self-defense. Minnesota officials and local residents strongly disagreed, calling the incident reckless. Protests have since swept through the city.
Despite the tragedy, Trump’s support among voters has stayed surprisingly steady. Some polls show a small dip, others show slight gains, making it hard to know how Americans truly feel.
Rasmussen Reports shows Trump with a net approval rating of -14 pts on Jan 13, almost the same as the day of the shooting. Decision Desk HQ found 42.8 % approved and 53.7 % disapproved, a tiny change from earlier in the week. Morning Consult found similar numbers, with 45 % approving and 53 % disapproving.
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The public reaction to the killing itself is more critical. In The Economist/YouGov poll, half of the respondents said the shooting was not justified. Many said ICE actions make them feel less safe, while a smaller group said it makes them safer.
The White House quickly defended Trump and the ICE officer. Spokesman Davis Ingle said in an email that Trump was elected by “nearly 80 million Americans” to carry out his agenda. He added the president has made “historic progress not only in America, but around the world” and that it is “not surprising that President Trump remains the most dominant figure in American politics.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also defended the officer. She said the agents were stuck in snow when Good tried to ram them with her car. Noem said the officer “acted quickly and defensively shot to protect himself and the people around him,” and that Good “is deceased.” She called the incident a “domestic act of terrorism.”
On the other side of the political divide, lawmakers blasted the administration’s response. Representative Ilhan Omar wrote on X last Wednesday that the ICE action was “unconscionable and reprehensible,” and that she was “beyond outraged” at what she called “reckless, callous actions” by federal agents. Omar said her “heart breaks for the victim’s family,” whom she said will “forever live with the pain caused by the Trump administration’s reckless and deadly actions.” She added that the administration has shown, “yet again, that it does not care about the safety of Minnesotans.”
Trump himself also spoke about the case on CBS’ Evening News on Tuesday. He said of Good: “I would bet you that she, under normal circumstances, was a very solid, wonderful person, but her actions were pretty tough.”
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
