White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explodes at 'left-wing hack' reporter during ICE rant
ICE recorded its deadliest year in over two decades
There's more drama from Washington, D.C., with the Trump administration being caught in its second seemingly embarrassing rant of the week.
While not quite as fiery as the President of the United States appearing to flip a factory worker the bird while telling them to "f**k off", the cracks have shown with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
It's been a typically dramatic week for the White House, and after Donald Trump clapped back after he was dubbed a 'pedophile protector', Leavitt hasn't held her tongue in a tense exchange with an Irish journalist.
2025 is remembered for numerous incidents involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement, like streamer Hasan "HasanPiker" Abi being flashbanged in an anti-ICE protest, and singer Jess Glynne slamming the White House for using the Jet2 holiday trend to promote deportations.
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2026 got off to a tragic start when ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, and while the President has defended these actions while claiming the agent acted in self-defense as Good tried to run him over, eyewitnesses, journalists, and Democratic Party lawmakers have all called it into question. Both Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota governor Tim Walz have called for an end to ICE's presence in the city, while thousands have been protesting in cities across the country.
During a press conference, The Hill's Niall Stanage questioned comments made by Homeland Security's Kristi Noem after she maintained that ICE agents have been doing "everything correctly."
Stanage highlighted the death of Gold, as well as 32 people while in ICE custody, marking the deadliest year in two decades. More than this, 70 US citizens were detained by ICE, with Stanage asking Leavitt: "How does that equate to them doing everything correctly?”
Leavitt then spun this on Stanage as she replied: "Why was Renee Good unfortunately and tragically killed?”
He claimed that Ross acted 'recklessly' and "killed her unjustifiably,” with Leavitt sniping back: "OK, so you’re a biased reporter with a left-wing opinion. Because you’re a left-wing hack. You’re not a reporter, posing in this room as a journalist. And it’s so clear by the premise of your question.
“And you and the people of the media who have such biases but fake like you’re a journalist, you shouldn’t even be sitting in that seat.”
Not done with trying to take down Stanage, a seemingly rattled Leavitt continued: "But you’re pretending like you’re a journalist, but you’re a left-wing activist. And the question that you just raised and your answer proves you’re biased. You should be reporting on the facts. You should be reporting on the cases.”
Leavitt suggested that Stanage should focus his reporting on "all of the innocent Americans who are killed by illegal aliens in this country," championing the "brave men and women of ICE are doing everything in their power to remove those heinous individuals and make our country safer."
Leavitt concluded by saying, "Shame on you people in the media who have a crooked view, a biased view, and pretend you’re an honest journalist."
The exchange has since gone viral, with Leavitt later sharing a post from her deputy, Anna Kelly, accusing Stanage of being an 'embarrassment' to The Hill.
Sharing a video where Stanage says it's a 'good thing' that people have been protesting Gold's shooting, Kelly added: "Why is this left-wing opinion writer hack in their briefing room seat?”