JD Vance says Jonathan Ross acted in self-defense

JD VanceVice President of the United States

Defended or excused

Vice President JD Vance said Good tried to ram the officer with her car and that Ross acted in self-defense.

“The reason this woman is dead is because she tried to ram somebody with her car and that guy acted in self-defense.”

Archived source

Open source (opens in a new tab)Transcript of January 8 White House press briefing with JD VanceQuestion-and-answer exchange on Renee Good, paragraphs beginning “Well, being part of the network” through “Next question”

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A red heart-shaped sign at a Minneapolis vigil reads No More MN (N)ice.
Credit: Chad Davis

Where this statement fits

Was ICE Officer Jonathan Ross justified in fatally shooting Renée Good?

On January 7, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renée Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, during a federal immigration operation in south Minneapolis. Good, a poet and writer with an English degree from Old Dominion University who had recently relocated to Minneapolis with her wife and children, was in her SUV near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue when agents approached. Ross fired three shots as Good's vehicle turned away from him; she drove several blocks before crashing and was pronounced dead. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Good had used her vehicle as a weapon against agents and that Ross fired in self-defense. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz disputed that account, saying video of the encounter showed no threat to the agent and calling the self-defense narrative false. The FBI removed the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from the joint investigation the day after the shooting. The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division declined to open its own investigation; Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department was not investigating because circulating video already showed the officer being attacked by the vehicle. As of September 2026, no public charges had been filed against Ross.

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Source and context

Archived source

Transcript of January 8 White House press briefing with JD Vance (opens in a new tab)Question-and-answer exchange on Renee Good, paragraphs beginning “Well, being part of the network” through “Next question”

About this source

The transcript records Vance's extended defense of the ICE officer and his response to questions about prejudging the investigation.

Archived copy (opens in a new tab)

Before the quotation

Vance was asked whether he was prejudging an investigation into the shooting after reviewing publicly available video.

After the quotation

He said the idea that the shooting was not justified was absurd and rejected descriptions of Good as an innocent victim of murder.

How this statement is classified

Defended or excused

The label describes this statement's response within the context above.

Why this label?

Vance directly endorses the self-defense justification for Ross's fatal shooting of Good, so the position defends the conduct at issue in the case.

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People and groups discussed
Jonathan Ross

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The Dispute Index
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JD Vance says Jonathan Ross acted in self-defense
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https://disputeindex.com/events/2204-vice-president-jd-vance-said-good-tried-to

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The Dispute Index. "JD Vance says Jonathan Ross acted in self-defense". First published: 2026-09-24. Last updated: 2026-09-24. https://disputeindex.com/events/2204-vice-president-jd-vance-said-good-tried-to