Karoline Leavitt Attacks Journalist for Questioning ICE and Trump

Karoline Leavitt clashes with journalists

ICE under scrutiny

Election-related tension

According to INDEPENDENT en Español, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt engaged in a tense confrontation with journalists during a press conference, in which she refused to explain how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is “doing everything correctly,” despite growing public outrage over the death of Renee Good and an increase in deaths while in the agency’s custody.

The exchange took place in a context marked by questions about the use of force, immigration operations, and recent statements by President Donald Trump related to the electoral process.

During the press conference, Leavitt responded with personal attacks to questions about ICE’s conduct and dismissed concerns about potential threats to U.S. democracy.

Karoline Leavitt clashes with the press over ICE

| Karoline Leavitt humiliated a Democratic operative journalist who tried to discredit ICE: “You’re a left-wing activist, not a reporter. It’s clear that you and the people pretending to be journalists shouldn’t be here. You should report the facts — you’re an embarrassment.” pic.twitter.com/Mm7rN0rkNF

— La Derecha Diario (@laderechadiario) January 15, 2026

The discussion erupted when a journalist questioned how government officials can maintain that ICE is acting properly, considering the death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman shot by an agency agent in Minneapolis, as well as the 32 deaths in custody recorded in 2025.

According to The Hill, columnist Niall Stanage raised the issue that senior officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have insisted federal agencies are operating appropriately, despite recent errors and documented deaths.

“How can you claim they’re doing everything correctly?” Stanage asked during the briefing.

Leavitt responded by challenging the journalist and asking for his opinion on the case.

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When Stanage stated that an ICE agent acted recklessly and killed Good without justification, the press secretary reacted with a series of personal insults.

She called him a “left-wing blowhard,” said he is not a journalist, and accused him of pretending to practice the profession from the press room.

Leavitt extended her criticism to other members of the media, whom she accused of biased views and of failing to report honestly.

Karoline Leavitt’s defense of the government and verbal attacks

Karoline Leavitt Attacks Journalist for Questioning ICE and Trump – PHOTO: EFE

During her remarks, Leavitt insisted that ICE agents are fulfilling their duties and defended the agency’s role in enforcing immigration law.

She said the “brave men and women of ICE” work to remove dangerous individuals from the country and make the United States safer.

She also reproached journalists for not focusing, as she put it, on innocent Americans killed by undocumented immigrants.

“Shame on you,” she declared, accusing the media of maintaining a distorted and biased perspective.

At no point did she directly address questions about deaths in custody or about protocols to prevent abuse during operations.

The press secretary avoided specifying what measures are being taken to prevent the wrongful detention of U.S. citizens.

Controversy over Trump’s election remarks

Karoline Leavitt Attacks Journalist for Questioning ICE and Trump – PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

The tension extended to another topic when Leavitt was asked about recent comments by President Trump regarding the 2026 midterm elections.

In an interview with Reuters, Trump said that “we shouldn’t even have an election this year,” referring to the advancement of his agenda.

The president also expressed fear that a Democrat-controlled Congress would block his initiatives and warned about a possible impeachment.

Voting rights organizations and election law experts voiced concern over those remarks.

Leavitt downplayed the president’s comments and said he was “joking.”

When journalist Andrew Feinberg pressed on the seriousness of suggesting the cancellation of elections, Leavitt interrupted him and dismissed the question.

She said that only someone like him would take such comments seriously.

Context of operations and protests

The exchange with the press occurred days after Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act following widespread protests in Minnesota.

The demonstrations erupted after the deployment of federal agents and allegations of racial profiling and indiscriminate arrests.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the operations and said they represent “targeted” enforcement.

Noem stated that during operations, agents may ask people near a target to verify their identity.

When asked how to prevent the wrongful detention of U.S. citizens, Leavitt avoided giving a concrete answer.

She limited herself to reiterating that ICE is focused on detaining people who are in the country illegally.