Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem clashed sharply with CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan during a tense “Face the Nation” interview on Sunday, bristling at questions about immigration enforcement data and snapping when Brennan referred to a federal agent by name in connection with the fatal shooting of Renee Good.
The exchange, which aired as protests and scrutiny intensified around Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota, drew swift backlash online and renewed questions about transparency, accountability and the administration’s handling of the case.
The most heated moment came when Brennan asked about the condition of ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots that killed Good on Jan. 7.
Noem cut her off mid-question. “Don’t say his name, for heaven’s sakes,” Noem said. “We shouldn’t have people continue to dox law enforcement.” When Brennan pointed out that Ross’ identity was already public, Noem doubled down. “I know but that doesn’t mean it should continue to be said,” she replied, adding that Ross and his family had faced attacks, without specifying by whom.
Ross has been repeatedly identified as the agent who shot into Good’s vehicle following a verbal confrontation involving another agent. Police officers involved in shootings are typically named as part of public records and court proceedings, but administration officials have framed the public release of names as “doxxing,” particularly amid anti-ICE protests.
The exchange capped a combative interview in which Noem accused Brennan and CBS News of misleading the public.
Pressed on the scope of the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, Noem said the deployment of nearly 3,000 federal agents would continue until “all the dangerous people are picked up.” She blamed former President Joe Biden’s border policies for what she described as an influx of “up to 20 million people unvetted into this country.”
When Brennan asked for a breakdown of how many detainees had committed violent crimes versus civil immigration violations, Noem claimed that every person detained had committed a crime and that 70 percent had been charged with or convicted of violent offenses.
Brennan pushed back, citing DHS’s own data, showing that only 47 percent had criminal convictions.
“It’s not 70%,” Brennan said.
“Yes, it is. It absolutely is, Margaret,” Noem insisted, adding: “You keep changing your percentage. You pick and choose what numbers you think work … no matter how much you guys keep lying and don’t tell the public the truth.”
Brennan later cited polling showing a majority of Americans believe the shooting of Good was unjustified and that the administration’s response was unfair.
Noem rejected those findings, insisting Good had “weaponized her car” and that the agent acted according to his training. “Everybody can watch the videos and see that,” she said, even though the circumstances of the shooting remain disputed.
As Brennan attempted to pin down whether Ross had been placed on administrative leave or was under investigation, Noem repeatedly deflected.
“I’m not going to talk about his medical records,” she said when asked about his condition, even though administration officials had recently claimed Ross suffered internal bleeding after being struck by Good’s SUV. Asked directly whether there was any review of the agent’s actions, Noem eventually answered, “There always is,” while attacking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s credibility and accusing state leaders of tolerating fraud and disorder.
The interview sparked a wave of reaction on social media, much of it focused on Noem’s accusation that Brennan had endangered the agent by saying his name.
Critics accused Noem of hypocrisy and deflection.
“She’s the one who doxxed him originally by pointing out a previous incident. She’s so unserious and blatantly stupid,” one person wrote. Another replied, “Thank you!! We wouldn’t know who he is if it wasn’t for her. She’s a complete moron.”
Others were angrier, questioning Noem’s immediate defense of the agent after the shooting. “Someone needs to threaten her lying a*s!! Did you do a thoughtful investigation when you immediately called Ms. [Good] a damn domestic terrorist right after she was murdered?” one comment read. Another accused the administration of shielding Ross: “Meanwhile, by hiding him, she is an accessory to murder.”
Some observers framed Noem’s performance as part of a broader pattern under President Trump.
“Because that’s the playbook. Just say anything is anything and their supporters accept that as reality,” one commenter wrote. Another agreed, saying, “Yes this is spot on. If their idols tell them to be aggrieved, they will be outraged no matter the absurdity. This age of alternate facts has no guardrails to keep people tethered to, or even interested in reality.”
Criticism also landed on CBS News, with some arguing Brennan should have pressed harder. “Why bother having her on if you’re not going to stop the gaslighting?” one viewer asked. Another added: “100%. Get in front of the message, don’t repeat it. CBS is now an arm of MAGA.”
The interview unfolded against a volatile backdrop in Minneapolis, where federal immigration raids and the killing of Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, have fueled more than a week of protests and clashes between demonstrators and federal law enforcement.
Noem repeatedly portrayed Minneapolis as uniquely dangerous, claiming ICE agents there face organized and “funded” protesters and levels of violence not seen in other cities. She dismissed calls to expand crowd-control and de-escalation training for ICE agents, insisting they are already “highly trained” and rejecting criticism from local leaders.
Brennan cited multiple incidents, including the detention of a U.S. citizen on her way to a medical appointment and a family with six children who said they were tear-gassed during an ICE operation. Noem blamed protesters for those encounters and defended the use of chemical agents despite a recent federal court order limiting their use.
By the end of the interview, little new information emerged about the investigation into Good’s death or Ross’s medical status. What did come through clearly was the administration’s posture: an aggressive defense of federal agents, an insistence that critics and the media are distorting the facts, and a growing willingness to frame routine questions as personal or physical attacks.
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