Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel called President Donald Trump a “maniac” following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The television host reacted sharply to Trump’s response after the video of the shooting went viral online. The incident occurred during an immigration operation when an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen and award-winning poet, as she sat in her car.
Trump posted his response on Truth Social, claiming the woman driving the car was disorderly and resisting, and that she ran over the ICE Officer, and that the shooting appeared to be in self-defense.
During his Wednesday, January 7, monologue, Kimmel introduced the news before reading Trump’s post to his studio audience. The host took particular issue with the president’s characterization of the shooting.
Kimmel said nobody got run over in the video. It looked like a woman got scared and tried to drive away, and they shot her.
Video from the scene shows an ICE agent shouting for Good to get out of her car before another agent fired three times into her SUV. The shooting occurred in Minneapolis amid a confrontation involving ICE agents and demonstrators.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey disputed the self-defense narrative at a news conference, calling the claim “b***s.” Frey told ICE to get the **** of Minneapolis, a statement that drew cheers from Kimmel’s studio audience.
The late-night host joined in the applause by pulling out a custom-made T-shirt with “Get the **** out of MPLS” written on the front. The shooting sparked protests in Minneapolis as local officials and federal authorities offered dramatically different accounts of what transpired.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed Good weaponized her vehicle in an attempt to run over law enforcement officers, and that an officer fired defensive shots. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem maintained that the officer followed his training and did exactly what he was supposed to do.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin also alleged Good attempted to kill officers with her vehicle. However, this characterization has been challenged by eyewitnesses and local officials who viewed the available footage.
Other late-night hosts weighed in on the tragedy. Stephen Colbert opened “The Late Show” with a somber message about the shooting rather than his traditional cold open. He later criticized the Department of Homeland Security for its rush to judgment in quickly deeming the shooting an act of self-defense.
MSNBC host Chris Hayes told Colbert the shooting looks like cold-blooded murder.
Good was pronounced dead at a local hospital. She left behind three children, including a 6-year-old son. Her mother, Donna Ganger, identified Good following the shooting.
The incident has fueled scrutiny of ICE’s tactics and use of force during immigration enforcement operations. The shooting represents one of the most controversial incidents to emerge from the Trump administration’s expanded immigration crackdown in cities across the country.
Immigration enforcement operations under the current administration have increased significantly in urban areas, with ICE agents deployed to multiple cities under what officials describe as public safety missions. These operations to enforce immigration law and conduct deportation operations have generated tension between federal authorities and local governments that question the tactics employed by immigration agents.
The use of deadly force by federal immigration agents remains relatively rare but raises complex legal questions about when such force is justified. Federal law enforcement agencies operate under specific guidelines regarding the discharge of firearms, particularly in situations involving moving vehicles.
Fox News host Jesse Watters drew criticism for his comments about Good on his show. Watters described Good as a self-proclaimed poet and noted she had pronouns in her bio, remarks that sparked backlash on social media.
Senator Lindsey Graham appeared on television, making unrelated comments about Iran, which prompted Kimmel to create another custom T-shirt earlier in his monologue, reading “Donald J. Trump is gonna kill you” — a reference to Graham’s warning to Iran’s Ayatollah.
Local government officials in Minneapolis have expressed opposition to federal immigration enforcement tactics in their city, creating ongoing friction between municipal and federal authorities. Mayor Frey’s directive for ICE to leave Minneapolis reflects this broader tension between local and federal law enforcement priorities.
