Fox News host Jesse Watters has ignited a firestorm of criticism following his reductive and controversial comments about Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old Minneapolis woman shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Wednesday, January 8, 2026.
Controversial On-Air Remarks Draw Condemnation
During his program "Jesse Watters Primetime," Watters chose to emphasize specific personal details about the victim while discussing her death. He described Good as "a self-proclaimed poet from Colorado with pronouns in her bio" and noted that she "leaves behind a lesbian partner and a child from a previous marriage." Watters further questioned her role, stating, "She was a disruptor, though she considered herself a legal observer. But there’s no evidence she had a law degree."
A clip of these remarks, shared on X by journalist Aaron Rupar, quickly circulated online, prompting widespread condemnation from public figures and the public alike.
Public Figures and Officials React
The response to Watters's commentary was swift and severe. Actor and comedian Patton Oswalt reacted with sarcastic outrage, writing, "Pronouns in her bio? A POET?!?!! Why didn’t that brave ICE agent empty his full clip?"
California State Senator Scott Wiener, a Democrat, offered a scathing assessment: "In the pantheon of psychopaths, Jesse Watters is an apex predator."
Podcaster Halle Kiefer suggested a calculated motive behind Watters's framing, pointing out that Good was white. "She’s white, so he has to emphasize that she’s queer, so his viewers understand her death is acceptable," Kiefer wrote. She challenged Fox News viewers to consider what personal details would be used to rationalize their own potential deaths in similar circumstances.
The controversy compounded for Watters on the same day, as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) accused him of using "sexually exploitative rhetoric" after declining an invitation to appear on his show.
Conflicting Narratives Surround the Shooting
The incident itself remains mired in conflicting political narratives. Officials from the Trump administration, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have characterized Good's behavior prior to the shooting as an act of "domestic terrorism," framing the agent's actions as self-defense.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has forcefully rejected this characterization. At a news conference on Wednesday, Frey called the domestic terrorism label "bullshit" and placed blame squarely on the federal agent. "This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying," Frey stated. He delivered a blunt message to the federal agency: "I have a message for ICE. To ICE: Get the fuck out of Minneapolis."
Renee Nicole Good, a resident of the Twin Cities, lived with her partner in the same neighborhood where she was killed. She is survived by her partner and her 6-year-old son.
