On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt used the term ‘deranged lunatic woman’ to describe a Minneapolis woman fatally shot by an ICE agent during a Fox News appearance.
The comments were made while Leavitt discussed the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. Good, a mother, was shot last Wednesday during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The Trump administration has described the incident as “domestic terrorism,” a claim that has been widely disputed.
Leavitt appeared on America Reports with co-anchors Sandra Smith and John Roberts.
During the interview, Roberts asked whether President Trump fully supported the ICE agent involved in the shooting and believed his actions were justified.
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“Absolutely. And I think the more evidence that comes out shows the officer was justified, and President Trump was right about this all along,” Leavitt said. “Now, of course, there is plentiful video evidence to show that the officer was struck by the car—that this deranged lunatic woman was trying to ram him over with her vehicle and was using that vehicle as a weapon.”
FOX NEWS: The officer involved in the Minneapolis shooting — does the president stand fully behind him? Does he think his action were justified?
LEAVITT: Absolutely. President Trump was right about this all along. This deranged lunatic woman was trying to ram him over with her… pic.twitter.com/qPlXlyqPgR
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 12, 2026
Leavitt also claimed that Good was a paid left-wing agitator. She accused Democrats and the media of misleading the public. No evidence has been released showing that Good was part of any paid or organized protest group.
Video footage from the scene was later released by federal agencies. The clips show Good’s vehicle partially blocking an intersection during the operation. Additional cell phone footage filmed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross was shared online by Vice President JD Vance, who said it supported the administration’s account.
The footage has not resolved key questions. Some viewers believe the video shows the officer’s phone hitting his own uniform. Others believe the officer may have been hit to some extent. The car appears to make a K-turn as an officer repeatedly orders Good to exit the vehicle.
Moments later, officers fired three shots. Good was hit in the face and later died at the hospital. No forensic evidence has yet been released to clearly explain the sequence of events.
After the Fox News interview, Leavitt repeated her remarks while speaking to reporters. She again referred to Good as “a lunatic” before abruptly walking away.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing these incidents play out in American communities across the country,” Leavitt said. “You have these organized, paid antagonists who are part of these groups that are actively, unlawfully, impeding lawful enforcement operations. They are harassing and targeting ICE agents, trying to make it impossible, again, for them to carry out their duties. That’s what was happening in this case.”
Leavitt also described Ross as an “experienced” and “brave individual.” She said he was “put in that position by these paid agitators.”
Ross has been stationed in Minnesota with ICE since 2017. He previously served in Iraq in 2004 and later with the National Guard until 2008. More than $350,000 has been raised for him on GoFundMe, including a $10,000 donation from billionaire Bill Ackman.
Featured image via X screengrab
