A White House press briefing descended into a fiery confrontation as Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt launched a fierce personal attack on a British journalist who questioned the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Explosive Exchange Over ICE Fatalities
The tense moment unfolded when The Hill's Niall Stanage, a journalist from Northern Ireland, pressed Leavitt on ICE's record. He cited that 32 people died in ICE custody last year and that 170 US citizens were detained by the agency. Stanage specifically referenced the case of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was shot in the head and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7.
"How does that equate to them doing everything correctly?" Stanage asked during the briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.
Leavitt's Retort and Personal Attack
Instead of addressing the statistics directly, Leavitt turned the question back on the reporter, asking why Good was "unfortunately and tragically killed." When Stanage offered his opinion that an "ICE agent acted recklessly and killed her unjustifiably," the press secretary erupted.
Leavitt labelled Stanage a 'biased reporter with a left-wing opinion' and stated he should not be in the press room because he was 'posing as a journalist.' In a remarkable outburst, she declared, "You shouldn't even be sitting in that seat, but you're pretending like you're a journalist, but you're a left-wing activist."
Accusations of Media Bias and Shame
The press secretary then challenged Stanage on whether he reported on American citizens killed by illegal aliens, naming Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray. She praised the "brave men and women of ICE" for working to remove "heinous individuals" and make communities safer.
Leavitt concluded her tirade by stating, "Shame on people like you in the media who have a crooked view and have a biased view and pretend like you're real honest journalists." The exchange highlights the deeply polarised debate surrounding immigration enforcement and the treatment of journalists at White House briefings.
