The White House on Friday publicly challenged The New York Times’ reporting and accused Democratic officials of fueling hostility toward federal law enforcement following a fatal Immigration and Customs Enforcement shooting in Minnesota earlier this week.
The pushback came after The New York Times published a January 8 article analyzing video footage from the January 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
The NY Times reported that video from multiple camera angles appeared to show Good’s vehicle moving away from — not toward — a federal officer when shots were fired, a conclusion that conflicted with the Trump administration’s description of the encounter.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded directly to the NY Times’ reporting on social media. In a post on X, Leavitt called on the newspaper to update its coverage, writing that the ICE agent acted in self-defense and adding, “President Trump was right, again.”
I am hereby calling on the New York Times to update their reporting on the ICE Agent’s self defense in Minnesota.
President Trump was right, again. pic.twitter.com/hv0PmPXFuD
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 9, 2026
The Dallas Express previously reported that federal and local officials offered sharply different accounts of the January 7 shooting, with early video footage raising questions about whether the officer was struck by the vehicle and whether the use of force was justified.
Leavitt’s post followed the release of additional cellphone footage recorded by the ICE agent involved, which the White House said supports the administration’s account of the incident. The video, first reported by Alpha News, shows the agent approaching Good’s vehicle moments before the shooting. The footage has been interpreted differently by federal officials and media outlets.
BREAKING: Alpha News has obtained cellphone footage showing perspective of federal agent at center of ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/p2wks0zew0
— Alpha News (@AlphaNews) January 9, 2026
At the same time, the White House released a separate statement marking National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day that sharply criticized Democratic rhetoric toward ICE and federal law enforcement more broadly.
The statement accused Democratic officials of repeatedly using inflammatory language that the administration says has undermined public trust and endangered officers carrying out immigration enforcement.
According to the White House, the statement lists 57 examples of Democratic governors, members of Congress, mayors, and local officials criticizing ICE operations, sometimes comparing federal officers to authoritarian or extremist forces.
The administration argued that such rhetoric has contributed to an increasingly hostile environment for law enforcement.
The FBI has taken over the investigation into Good’s death, according to the Associated Press. No charges have been announced, and federal authorities have not released a final determination regarding the use of force.
