Who Is Niall Stanage? The Journalist Called a ‘Left-Wing Hack’ by Karoline Leavitt

January 2026 – A tense moment unfolded at the White House on Thursday when Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called journalist Niall Stanage a “left-wing hack” during a briefing. The exchange occurred over the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, by an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month.

What Happened at the White House Briefing

During the press briefing, Stanage asked about the shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7, 2026. He also questioned Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s claim that ICE is “doing everything correctly,” pointing out that 32 people had died in ICE custody over the last year out of 170,000 detainees.

Leavitt responded sharply, asking, “Why was Renee Good unfortunately and tragically killed?” Stanage said the ICE agent acted recklessly. In reply, Leavitt called him a “left-wing hack” and accused him of pretending to be a journalist while having a biased agenda.

She further criticized Stanage, saying: “Shame on people like you in the media who have a crooked view and pretend like you’re a real, honest journalist.”

Leavitt then shifted the discussion to cases where Americans were killed by undocumented immigrants, citing Jocelyn Nungaray and Laken Riley, to support her argument.

Who Is Niall Stanage?

Niall Stanage is an Irish-born journalist who has lived in the United States since 2003. He is currently associate editor and White House columnist at The Hill. Known for asking probing questions at press briefings, Stanage has also contributed to The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

He hosts ‘The Niall Stanage Show’ on The Hill’s YouTube channel, which has over 2 million subscribers. Stanage holds a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from Oxford University and authored the book Redemption Song: An Irish Reporter Inside the Obama Campaign. At one point, he earned the nickname “the Obama guy” for his in-depth coverage of Barack Obama’s campaigns.

About Renee Nicole Good

Renee Nicole Good, 37, was a poet and mother of three. She was shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, roughly one mile from where George Floyd was killed in 2022. Good had moved to Minneapolis as a legal observer of ICE activities.

Her death sparked protests across the U.S., including in Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., El Paso, and Boston. The Department of Homeland Security responded by sending additional Customs and Border Patrol officers to Minneapolis.