MAGA ‘turns on’ Kristi Noem? Trump allies uneasy over ‘highly problematic’ handling of ICE shooting

Kristi Noem’s handling of the killing of Renee Nicole Good is now causing discomfort not just among critics of the Trump administration, but within MAGA itself. Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis. Ross recorded the encounter on his phone as he fired three rounds after Good refused to exit her van. The killing quickly triggered protests in the city and drew national attention.


Almost immediately after the incident, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly accused Good of “domestic terrorism,” claiming she tried to “ram them with her vehicle.” The language was echoed across the administration, with Vice President J.D. Vance and President Donald Trump repeating Noem’s framing and accusing the media of misrepresenting what happened. But behind the scenes, that speed and certainty appear to be unsettling even Trump’s allies.

‘Not wise to say that at the outset’

According to Politico, concern is growing inside the administration about how quickly officials labeled the incident “domestic terrorism” while investigations were still unfolding.


The outlet reported on Friday that “even supporters of the president” fear the aggressive rhetoric “risks undermining public confidence in the ongoing investigation.”


One person close to the administration told Politico, “Do I think it’s domestic terrorism? Yeah, I do. But it might not have been wise to say that at the outset, how [Noem] said it.”


Another administration official was more blunt about the political fallout, telling the publication, “I don’t know how we recover from this.” They added, “This is highly problematic and not a good look and not something our government should be remotely engaged in.”


The comments suggest growing anxiety that Noem’s framing, quickly embraced by top officials, may be hardening divisions at a moment when the facts are still being debated publicly.

Video fuels split as MAGA messaging fractures

Videos of the shooting have continued to circulate online, with commentators describing them as a “Rorschach test” for conservatives and liberals.


On Friday, J.D. Vance shared a new video angle that he claimed supported the officer’s decision to fire in self-defense. Liberals, however, focused on Good’s demeanor in the footage, pointing to her words to the agent, “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you”, before she appears to turn the steering wheel away from him as if attempting to leave.


DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin defended the administration’s stance in comments to Politico, saying, “If you weaponize a vehicle, a deadly weapon to kill or cause bodily harm to a federal law enforcement officer, that is an act of domestic terrorism and will be prosecuted as such.”


President Trump also weighed in on Friday, saying he backed the FBI’s move to block state officials from investigating the killing. He dismissed criticism from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who had condemned the administration’s handling of the case, calling Walz “a stupid person.”