Karoline Leavitt calls journalist a “left-wing activist” for questions about ICE

Washington D.C.— White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt had a tense exchange with a journalist during a press conference this Thursday, responding with harsh criticism and insults after the reporter questioned the statements of the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, about the actions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The moment came when journalist Niall Stanage, a columnist for The Hill, asked Leavitt if he could explain how recent statistics and facts, including the murder of US citizen Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, the 32 deaths in ICE custody in 2025, and the detention of 170 US citizens by mistake, could be reconciled with Noem’s assertion that the agents were “doing everything correctly”.

In response, Leavitt asked why Good’s death had occurred, to which the reporter said that, in his opinion, an ICE agent had acted “recklessly and unjustifiably.” Following that response, the spokesperson reacted harshly, accusing him of being biased and not being a true journalist, repeatedly calling him a “left-wing activist” and “pretending to be a journalist” in the press room.

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Leavitt also urged the media to focus on other aspects, defending ICE’s work and reproaching the press for its alleged bias, even suggesting that many U.S. citizens have been victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, an argument he introduced in response to the questioning about the agency’s practices. This confrontation takes place in a context of growing national controversy in the United States over the use of force by federal immigration agents and the administration’s public defense of ICE’s actions, a situation that has generated protests and criticism from both Democratic lawmakers and sectors of civil society. The scene has been widely discussed in international media, highlighting the intensity with which Leavitt responded to questions about immigration and the political tensions surrounding immigration law enforcement policies under the current administration.