By Emmanuel Bobby
Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the woman fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during an operation in Minneapolis was “brainwashed,” asserting—without providing evidence—that she was connected to a “broader, left-wing network” targeting federal immigration officers.
Speaking forcefully in a rare appearance in the White House briefing room, Vance sharply criticized media coverage of the incident while offering few verifiable details to support his version of events. At several points, his tone grew visibly angry as he fielded reporters’ questions.
“I’m not happy that this woman lost her life,” Vance said, referring to Renee Nicole Good, 37, who was shot and killed Wednesday during a confrontation with ICE officers. President Donald Trump has claimed that Good was resisting orders and deliberately struck an ICE officer with her vehicle during an immigration enforcement action. That account has been disputed by local officials and at least one eyewitness.
Vance argued that Good was unlawfully interfering with law enforcement activity and said responsibility for the violence rested with her actions and with broader political rhetoric surrounding immigration enforcement.
“I’m not happy that this woman was there at a protest violating the law by interfering with a law enforcement action,” he said. “The best way to turn down the temperature is to take concerns about immigration policy to the ballot box. Stop assaulting and inciting violence against our law enforcement officers. We’re not going to give in to terrorism—and that’s exactly what’s happened.”
Video evidence fuels dispute
Video footage of the incident has circulated widely online, with Trump, Vance and other administration officials saying it supports their claim that the shooting was justified. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, however, has called those assertions “nonsense,” while Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accused the administration of pushing “propaganda” rather than facts.
Vance’s decision to appear publicly on the matter underscored the administration’s focus on Minnesota, where federal immigration enforcement has intensified in recent weeks. He joined White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to discuss both the shooting and a separate investigation into alleged misuse of welfare funds in the state.
During the briefing, Vance repeatedly criticized Walz—his Democratic opponent in the 2024 vice presidential race—and announced the creation of a new associate attorney general position tasked with overseeing fraud investigations in Minnesota and other states.
Defense of the ICE officer
Much of Vance’s remarks centered on defending the ICE officer who fired the fatal shots. He said the officer had been seriously injured in a separate incident six months earlier after being dragged by a vehicle, requiring extensive medical treatment.
“So you think maybe he’s a little bit sensitive about somebody ramming him with an automobile?” Vance said.
The vice president also claimed that Good was linked to an organized effort aimed at obstructing ICE operations.
“She was part of a broader left-wing network to attack, to dox, to assault and to make it impossible for our ICE officers to do their job,” Vance said. No evidence has been publicly released to support that claim.
He went on to accuse the media of ignoring what he described as coordinated efforts by “left-wing radicals” to intimidate federal officers and undermine immigration enforcement.
No evidence presented
Pressed on whether he was drawing conclusions before a full investigation had been completed, Vance insisted certain facts were beyond dispute.
“You have a woman who was trying to obstruct a legitimate law enforcement operation,” he said. “You have a woman who aimed her car at a law enforcement officer and pressed on the accelerator.”
At the same time, Vance acknowledged that he could not know Good’s precise intentions.
“I don’t know what was in her heart or in her head,” he said. “But I am certain that the officer had every reason to believe his life was in serious danger.”
Vance repeatedly described Good as “radicalized” and “brainwashed,” though he offered no proof to substantiate those characterizations.
Closing attack on media coverage
The vice president ended his remarks with a sharp rebuke of reporters, accusing them of irresponsibly questioning the shooting.
“It’s reckless to imply that a guy who defended himself from being rammed by an automobile committed murder,” Vance said. “If we’re serious about lowering the temperature, we need a media that tells the truth.”
Investigations into the shooting remain ongoing, with state and local officials continuing to review video evidence and witness accounts amid growing public scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics.
Original article
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