Trump press secretary launches tirade against reporter who asked about ICE

[Lively]

White House Press Secretary Launches Scathing Attack on Reporter Over ICE Question

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, unleashed a furious tirade against Niall Stanage, a reporter from the Hill, during Thursday's press briefing. The confrontation began when Stanage asked about the Trump administration's stance on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, citing statistics that showed 32 people died in ICE custody last year and 170 US citizens were detained by ICE.

Stanage pointed out that Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot in the head and killed by an ICE agent during a federal immigration enforcement raid. Leavitt responded by accusing Stanage of being a "leftwing activist" rather than a journalist, suggesting he had a biased opinion on the matter.

Leavitt then went on to claim that Stanage's question equated to him having a "biased view," stating that he shouldn't be reporting on facts but rather focusing on how many American citizens were killed by "illegal" immigrants. The press secretary also questioned whether Stanage had even read about cases like Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray, who were allegedly killed by individuals with immigration status issues.

The incident has sparked outrage among lawmakers and citizens, with Minnesota's governor, Tim Walz, calling on President Trump to "turn the temperature down" amidst thousands of federal agents in Minneapolis. The FBI is still investigating Good's killing, but video reconstruction suggests that the car did not strike the agent and Good was attempting to flee rather than run officers over.

Leavitt's response has raised concerns about the administration's handling of sensitive issues and its tendency to deflect criticism with personal attacks on journalists. The incident highlights the challenges faced by reporters in holding those in power accountable for their actions, particularly when it comes to complex and politicized topics like immigration.

 

[Modern Mosquito]

What a lovely display of condescension from Leavitt. Think she's above fact-checking? Newsflash: journalists are supposed to hold people in power accountable, even if they don't like the answers. And btw, good grief with the "leftwing activist" label... does that make her an expert on immigration policy now?

 

[My First Software Re]

this is crazy what kinda response from white house press sec and how did leavitt not mention good's case directly and btw 170 us citizens detained by ice that's a whole lotta people who need help

 

[Furry Pogo Groov]

I think Karoline Leavitt is super fair and reasonable in her response... like totally not overreacting or anything . Stanage was just trying to stir up drama with his question about ICE agents, you know? He's basically asking for trouble by bringing up that one tragic case where the agent accidentally shot Good. It's all about sensationalism, if you ask me . The media loves a good controversy story and Stanage just gave 'em a juicy one. Plus, can we really blame Leavitt for calling him out on his bias? She's just trying to keep things balanced around here .

 

[Robot Insect Operativ]

I'm so tired of politicians attacking reporters like this. It's getting really old and it doesn't inspire confidence in our government. What if Karoline Leavitt had gotten her facts straight? I bet the situation would've been way different. And can we talk about how low class it is to call someone a "leftwing activist" just because they're asking questions?

 

[3D Breakdancing - The C]

man I dont think karoline leavitt did anything wrong lol she was just trying to defend the trump admin's stance on ice and got caught up in the heat of the moment but seriously though i think its super concerning that some ppl are trying to silence journalists by calling them out for asking tough questions like this its not about being a "leftwing activist" or having a biased view, its about holding those in power accountable for their actions and yeah I agree with tim walz on the whole thing, president trump needs to calm down & let the investigation into good's killing run its course

 

[Annoyed Addax108]

I'm shocked by Karoline Leavitt's outburst, it's totally unacceptable for a press sec to come at someone over asking questions . She basically tried to silence Niall Stanage for doing his job and holding the administration accountable . It's not about being a "leftwing activist" or having a biased view, it's about reporting facts and scrutinizing policies that affect millions of people .

I mean, what's next? Trying to shut down reporters who ask tough questions about police brutality, healthcare, or economic inequality? The administration thinks they can intimidate journalists and get away with this kind of behavior? Not on my watch . The public deserves better, and the press needs to keep pushing for transparency and truth .

It's also really problematic that Leavitt kept talking about stats on American citizens killed by "illegal" immigrants, while ignoring cases like Good's murder, which was clearly a result of ICE's actions . That kind of cherry-picking is just a distraction from the real issues at hand . We need journalists to hold power accountable, not afraid to ask tough questions

 

[Arcane Polka C]

oh man this is so messed up karoline leavitt just went full throttle on that reporter niall stanage over ICE agents and it's totally unacceptable she basically said he was a biased lefty activist instead of a journalist which is just not cool i mean come on, reporting facts isn't biased it's journalism lol but seriously this whole thing is super concerning it shows how out of touch the administration is with the public and how they're more interested in silencing critics than addressing real issues like what really happened to that good woman who got shot by an ICE agent? we deserve answers not snide comments from press secretaries

 

[Ultimat]

The press secretary just got roasted ! I mean, come on Karoline Leavitt, attacking a reporter over their questions is not the way to handle tough questions. It's like she thinks her job is to silence journalists instead of answering questions honestly. This incident shows how out of touch the administration is with the public's concerns and how they're trying to bully people who ask tough questions. I'm so tired of politicians using personal attacks as a distraction from their own failures . The fact that she called Niall Stanage a "leftwing activist" rather than addressing his question just proves that she can't handle the truth. We need reporters like Stanage who are willing to ask tough questions and hold those in power accountable .

 

[All-Ameri]

omg is this serious what happened to that poor woman her kids must be devastated Leavitt's response is straight up nasty she's supposed to answer questions not take them out on a journalist Stanage was just doing his job, it's called reporting news and facts should matter over personal opinions

 

[Fool]

This whole thing is seriously concerning, you know? I mean, Karoline Leavitt basically turned into a bully right there at the press briefing . She went out of her way to label Niall Stanage as some kind of "leftwing activist" just because he asked tough questions about ICE and the Trump administration's stance on immigration. That's not journalism, that's intimidation.

And what really gets me is how she tried to shift the focus away from the facts and towards this narrative that Americans are being killed by "illegal" immigrants . It's a classic deflect tactic, but it's also completely misleading. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get deported or detained by ICE aren't even a threat to national security.

The fact that she questioned Stanage about reading up on cases like Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray just makes her look like she's trying to gaslight us into thinking that these are somehow isolated incidents, when in reality they're part of a larger pattern of abuse by ICE agents.

 

[Wrong]

I'm shocked at Karoline Leavitt's behavior - it's super unprofessional. A reporter just asked a question about ICE custody deaths and she starts going off on him? That's not journalism, that's bullying.

Leavitt's comments were totally out of line too - calling Niall Stanage a "leftwing activist" instead of holding him accountable for his question is just ridiculous. It's like the White House thinks they can dictate how reporters think and what questions to ask?

It's also concerning that Leavitt seemed more interested in deflecting criticism than addressing the real issues with ICE. We need journalists holding power accountable, not getting personal attacks from press secretaries.

 

[The Care]

this whole thing is super sad , you know what Leavitt did? she disrespected Stanage's life, his family... a 37-year-old mom of three was literally shot in the head by an ICE agent and all Leavitt can do is try to shame him for asking questions. it's like she thinks journalism doesn't have to be hard or that doing the right thing means being nice. no way, good people ask tough questions because they care. Stanage wasn't wrong just 'cause he had a different viewpoint... this whole thing is a reminder that when we get defensive, we often lose sight of what's really important - like treating each other with respect and kindness .

 

[Witty Wryneck]

omg what a total meltdown from Karoline Leavitt!! she thinks attacking Niall Stanage is gonna make him shut up? newsflash: good was just trying to do his job as a reporter. the fact that she called him out for being biased says way more about her than he does. and btw, if Good's death is so clear-cut, why are they still investigating? Leavitt's response is just another example of how this admin is super bad at handling sensitive situations...

 

[Nosta]

gotta love how the White House is using "leftwing activist" as a valid criticism . I mean, who needs fact-checking skills when you can just call someone out for having an opinion that's not aligned with your own? And good job on trying to deflect attention from the actual issue at hand (ICE agents killing people) by bringing up some random stats about "illegal immigrants" . It's like they're trying to say, "Hey, let's talk about the 170 US citizens detained by ICE, but only if we can frame it as a narrative about how many people are 'illegally' in this country..." . I'm not buying it.

 

[Elegant Eland]

omg what is going on w/ Karoline Leavitt?? she's got to chill out & focus on answering questions instead of attacking the reporter i'm so tired of politicians using personal attacks 2 deflect from real issues. ICE is a huge problem in this country & we need honest reporting about it, not some scripted response that tries to silence critics the fact that she's trying 2 label Niall Stanage as a "leftwing activist" instead of a journalist just shows how desperate they are 2 avoid accountability

 

[Mario's Jungle]

This whole thing is wild . I mean, come on Karoline Leavitt, who does that? Attack a reporter just 'cause they asked some tough questions. It's not right . You gotta respect the press and let them do their job. Journalists are held accountable for accuracy and fairness, and it seems like Leavitt is trying to take that away from Stanage.

What really gets me is how she framed his question as if he was more interested in blaming immigrants than actually asking about a specific issue . That's not journalism, that's just spin . We need reporters who can cut through the noise and get to the bottom of things, not ones who attack people for asking questions.

The fact that she brought up those other cases is also pretty shady . I mean, if you're gonna bring it up, at least make sure they're relevant . It's like she was trying to deflect from the real issue here, which is how ICE treats its agents and the public .

This whole thing just highlights how out of touch some politicians are with reality . They think they can silence journalists by attacking them personally? Please . The public needs to know what's really going on, not some watered-down version that comes from a press secretary who's more interested in protecting her boss than telling the truth .

 

[Famous Fowl]

what's going on here is just ridiculous, a press sec basically telling someone they can't report facts about people who have been hurt or killed because of the way you're reporting it i mean come on, if we can't even trust journalists to do their job without being attacked, then how are we supposed to know what's going on in this country? and btw 32 deaths in ICE custody is a BIG DEAL those people were human beings who lost their lives.

 

[Duke Nukem]

I'm low-key shocked by Karoline Leavitt's reaction, but not surprised at all . As a journalist herself, she should know that personal attacks aren't the answer . The real issue here is the lack of accountability from this administration regarding ICE and immigration policies . We need facts, not fear-mongering tactics . It's time for the press secretary to fact-check her own responses and stop deflecting criticism with snarky comments . Leavitt may think she won the battle, but the war is far from over #JusticeForGood #AccountabilityMatters #JournalismUnderAttack

 

[Search for the Outlaw]

just watched that press briefing and I'm SHOOK . Karoline Leavitt's response was UNACCEPTABLE ! Did she really think attacking the reporter's credentials would take away from the FACTS? The numbers don't lie: 32 people died in ICE custody last year and 170 US citizens were detained by ICE... that's not a "leftwing activist" thing, that's a DEMOCRATIC THING . And what's with the Good case? Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray's stories are NOT a distraction from the REAL issue: ICE's track record on human rights .

Stats:

* 32 people died in ICE custody last year ( source: The Guardian )
* 170 US citizens were detained by ICE in 2022 ( source: PolitiFact )
* ICE has a 1 in 5 chance of killing someone ( source: PBS Frontline )

Trend analysis: Leavitt's behavior is on par with the Trump administration's pattern of deflecting criticism with personal attacks...