January 08 (Citizen.lk News) - President Donald Trump has defended the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who fatally shot a 37‑year‑old woman in Minneapolis, claiming the officer acted in self‑defense and blaming “the Radical Left” for escalating tensions.
In his first public statement on the Jan. 7 incident, Trump said he had viewed video footage showing ICE agents confronting a woman in a vehicle blocking a street. As the woman attempted to drive away, another agent positioned in front of the car fired three shots into the driver’s side window.
“It is a horrible thing to watch,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He described the woman as “a professional agitator” and alleged she had “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer, who seems to have shot her in self‑defense.”
Although video evidence did not show the agent visibly injured, Trump claimed the officer was hospitalized and recovering. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not specify the nature of the injuries but said in a statement that “the ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.”
The shooting occurred amid what the Trump administration has described as the “largest immigration operation ever” in Minneapolis. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the agent “fired defensive shots” after the woman allegedly attempted to ram officials with her vehicle, calling it “an act of domestic terrorism.”
Local officials, however, disputed that account. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said video evidence showed the woman driving away from agents, not toward them. “They are already trying to spin this as an action of self‑defense,” Frey said at a press conference. “Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly, that is bull—-.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticized DHS for drawing conclusions before the investigation was complete. He announced preparations to mobilize the National Guard in response to potential unrest. “We don’t need further help from the federal government. To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough,” Walz said.
City Council President Elliott Payne identified the victim as Renee Nicole Good, a legal observer, a detail confirmed by multiple news outlets including the Star Tribune. Good’s death has sparked widespread protests in Minneapolis and beyond, with demonstrators accusing ICE of excessive force.
Trump has repeatedly warned of violence from the political left, despite research indicating right‑wing extremism is more prevalent. In September, following the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Trump announced a federal investigation into what he termed “left‑wing terrorism.”
The FBI and DHS are continuing to investigate the Minneapolis shooting.
