CNN NewsNight turned into a pressure cooker as host Abby Phillip and conservative commentator Scott Jennings collided over the rapidly shifting government narrative surrounding the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother of three and award-winning poet.
Good was shot in the head by a masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier that day. Immediately after the killing, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Good had committed “an act of terrorism,” while President Trump asserted she was “violently, willfully, and viciously” attempting to run over an agent with her vehicle. But details remain sparse, and multiple eyewitnesses have raised questions about DHS’s version of events.
Jennings echoed several of the administration’s talking points during the live broadcast, citing reports that Good had been “tracking around ICE agents all day long.” Phillip pushed back, noting that there was no confirmed evidence supporting those assertions.
“It does strike me, Scott, that we actually don’t know that she was doing any of the things that you suggested,” Phillip said, adding she had “read everything there is to read” about Good and found no verified information indicating she was pursuing federal officers.
Jennings doubled down, asserting that DHS statements were trustworthy. Phillip countered with a critical point that reshaped the conversation: Good lived in the neighborhood where the shooting occurred, and her wife was outside the vehicle recording the encounter. “We’re talking about jumping to conclusions,” she said.
The exchange grew sharper when Jennings pressed Phillip on whether she believed the government was lying. “All I’m saying is that we don’t know,” Phillip replied evenly.
Panelist and YouTuber Leigh McGowan jumped in, asking, “When did it become illegal to follow ICE agents around?” Jennings argued that obstruction of federal law enforcement is a crime. McGowan fired back: “She was filming them because ICE agents have been known to kill people.”
The tension spilled beyond the studio. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey delivered an explosive rebuke Wednesday night after reviewing video of the shooting. “Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everyone directly that is bull****,” Frey declared. “This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying.” He then issued a stark message to ICE: “Get the f*** out of Minneapolis.”
