MSNBC anchor Ari Melber cut away from Governor Kristi Noem’s press conference after saying video footage did not corroborate her account of an ICE agent killing Renee Nicole Good. Noem claimed the agent fired in self-defense amid an alleged attempt to weaponize a vehicle and used the incident to criticize Minnesota’s leaders and federal policy. Melber highlighted a gap between the available evidence and Noem’s statements; both Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have disputed her version. Networks varied in coverage, with Fox airing the full briefing and CNN not taking it live at 6 p.m.
Ari Melber Cuts Away From Kristi Noem, Says Video Doesn’t Support ICE Shooting Claims
Video shows when the officer shot the victim, who was driving away. / Screenshot/Max Nesterak/X
MSNBC anchor Ari Melber interrupted live coverage of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s Wednesday press conference after questioning her description of an ICE agent’s fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. Melber said the footage shown on his program did not support Noem’s account that the agent fired in self-defense because a vehicle was being used to attack officers.
On his show On The Beat, Melber aired Noem’s statements — which so far lack independent corroboration — but cut away when Noem pivoted from describing the incident to broader attacks on crime and immigration policies in Minnesota.
Noem: “Since Governor Walz has been in charge of Minnesota, we have seen homicides go up by over 50 percent. That’s also during Mayor Frey’s tenure, as well. Since President Trump took office, Governor Walz has released over 470 violent criminals back onto the streets here in Minneapolis.”
Responding on air, Melber said Noem advanced several specific assertions — including that a crowd boxed in the officers and that a car was being used as a weapon to run over the agent. He said the video his show played "does not show the car going at the officer but rather making the turn to the right," and stressed there was a notable gap between the available video evidence and some officials’ public statements.
Melber added: “She said they view this as an attempt to kill or cause bodily harm...which is the only legal justification for using that kind of force. The ICE agent shot this individual in the face, killing her. And then she discussed how they view this as domestic terror attacks.”
Local officials have pushed back on Noem’s framing. Both Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz publicly disputed her account; Walz called the Department of Homeland Security a "propaganda machine."
Melber noted that MSNBC has previously limited live airtime for certain officials, including former President Donald Trump, when editors judged the live feed had low news value or posed a risk of spreading misinformation. He said producers would continue to monitor Noem’s remarks for any further developments.
Media coverage varied: CNN did not take Noem’s briefing live in the 6 p.m. hour, while Fox News aired the nearly 15-minute conference in full. MSNBC and the Department of Homeland Security were listed as contacted for comment.
What We Know
- The shooting killed Renee Nicole Good, 37. Public reporting indicates an ICE agent fired; details about motive and circumstances remain under investigation.
- Noem characterized the shooting as self-defense amid an alleged attempt to use a vehicle as a weapon, but Melber said video shown on his program did not clearly support that claim.
- Minnesota officials have disputed Noem’s version, and national outlets differed on whether to air her remarks live.
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