White House insiders are privately panicking that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other Trump officials are digging ICE into an inescapable hole.
Anonymous White House insiders whined to Politico that Noem and the administration’s smear campaign against Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old mother shot in her car on Wednesday by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, only serves to stoke American distrust in ICE, federal law enforcement, and the government.
On Wednesday, Ross shot Good in her Honda Pilot at a Minneapolis ICE protest as she tried to drive away from agents ordering her to clear her car from the road.
Minutes after the killing, cosplaying Noem, 54, gave a press conference in Brownsville, Texas, and said definitively that Good was a “domestic terrorist” who was trying to run over Ross with her car. She made the accusation while wearing a giant cowboy hat.
Noem’s quick-to-label stunt reportedly left White House insiders cringing.
“Do I think it’s domestic terrorism? Yeah, I do,” a person close to the White House told Politico. “But it might not have been wise to say that at the outset, how [Noem] said it.”
“I don’t know how we recover from this,” said one official, adding, “This is highly problematic and not a good look and not something our government should be remotely engaged in.”
Other Trump officials followed Noem’s lead, with Vice President JD Vance claiming Good was influenced by an unspecified “left-wing network” in a stunning press conference, while President Trump accused Good of “violently, willfully, and viciously” running over Ross, despite video evidence of Ross walking away under his own power after killing Good.
Video from the scene shows Good calmly speaking with ICE agents and attempting to turn away from Ross, who was positioned near her left front tire, before he opens fire. Her last words were “I’m not mad at you.” An ICE agent can be heard calling her a “f---ing b---h” after the killing.
Former ICE head John Sandweg, who led the agency for a year during the Obama administration, told the publication that Noem’s severe spin of Good’s killing undermined any eventual conclusions made from the investigation into the event, which the FBI is handling after the organization froze out local law enforcement.
“Whatever outcome this investigation produces, I don’t see how anyone’s gonna believe it when the secretary already is firmly—and doubled down on—a conclusion without knowing all the facts,” he said.
Good’s killing has led to increased efforts to impeach Noem. Rep. Robin Kelly filed articles of impeachment against Noem, accusing her of obstructing Congress, compromising public safety, violating Americans’ due process, and abusing her office for personal benefit. Reps. Maxine Dexter, Emily Randall, and Yassamin Ansar have co-sponsored the bill.
When reached for comment, Assistant Homeland Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Daily Beast: “Clearly, Daily Beast does not want the American people to see the newly released footage which corroborates what Secretary Noem has stated all along—that this individual was impeding law enforcement and weaponized her vehicle in an attempt to kill or cause bodily harm to federal law enforcement. The officer was in fear of his own life, the lives of his fellow officers and acted in self-defense. The American people can watch this video with their own eyes and ears and judge for themselves.”
On Friday, the Daily Beast reported on this “newly released footage,” which is recorded from the perspective of Ross, who fired three shots through the windshield and side window of Good’s SUV.
The footage shows a seemingly calm Good telling an ICE agent, “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you. I’m not mad at you.” Just moments later, she was shot at point-blank range. An ICE agent can be heard calling Good a “f---ing b---h,” though it is unclear who uttered the vile slur.
