(NewsNation) — Vice President JD Vance slammed Democrats and the media a day after 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.
Details of exactly what led to the fatal shooting remain unclear, with federal agents giving a separate account of events from what city and state officials are saying happened.
The Trump administration and DHS officials have said the ICE officer acted in self-defense; however, this explanation has drawn scrutiny.
Vance doubled down on the administration’s position at a White House briefing Thursday, saying, “The idea that this was not justified is absurd” and slamming the media for its coverage of the story.
Vance described Good as a “victim of left-wing ideology” and said the ICE officer had “every reason” to believe he was under threat.
“The reason this woman is dead is because she tried to ram somebody with her car,” Vance added.
In one video from the scene taken by bystanders, a car is positioned in front of an ICE vehicle. The driver can be heard telling officers to “go around.” One agent approaches and says, “Get out of the f—— car,” while attempting to open the driver’s door.
At that point, three officers surround the car, with one standing directly in front. The driver reverses briefly, then accelerates forward. As the vehicle turns right and attempts to move forward, the officer who had been in front shifts to the left side and fires three shots in rapid succession as the car pulls away and crashes into other vehicles.
Vance also announced the Trump administration is creating a new official position of assistant attorney general who will have “nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud.” A nomination is expected in the coming days.
NewsNation’s Ali Bradley and Jeff Arnold and NewsNation partner The Hill contributed to this report.