Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has launched a scathing critique of the Trump administration, stating it possesses "no credibility" in its account of a recent shooting involving a federal immigration agent in Minnesota. McCabe's condemnation stems from what he describes as the deliberate mischaracterization of a woman killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent just last week.
Mischaracterization of Prior Incident Undermines Trust
During a CNN interview on Thursday with anchors Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown, McCabe pointed to the fatal shooting of Renee Good as the core reason for his distrust. Footage from last week's incident showed Good partially blocking a road with her vehicle and attempting to drive away when ICE agent Jonathan Ross fired multiple shots, killing her.
Despite the video evidence, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem labeled Good's actions "an act of terrorism." President Donald Trump also blamed Good for the shooting. McCabe vehemently rejected this framing, stating authorities "absolutely mischaracterized, deliberately mischaracterized Ms. Good and her partner as terrorists." He emphasized that neither Good nor her widow had committed any act of terrorism.
Latest Shooting and Threat of the Insurrection Act
The discussion occurred amidst heightened tensions in Minneapolis following a new incident on Wednesday. A federal officer shot a person in the leg in what officials described as self-defense. The DHS stated two other individuals attacked the officer during an attempted arrest.
When pressed on whether this shooting was justified, McCabe dismissed the DHS's account as untrustworthy. "We know that we can’t trust what the government is saying about what’s happening on the ground," he asserted, adding that it makes evaluating the new event nearly impossible.
The conversation also addressed President Trump's threat, made in an early-morning Truth Social post on Thursday, to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807. Trump warned he would employ the act if Minnesota politicians did not stop "professional agitators and insurrectionists" from attacking ICE personnel.
A Dangerous Precedent and a Call for Scrutiny
McCabe provided crucial context on the Insurrection Act, noting that while it permits a president to use military force against American citizens, it is legally reserved for actual insurrections or clear interference with state or federal law. He highlighted that the United States has seen a series of "unfortunately violent protests" in recent years, yet "not one of them" prompted any other president to deploy the U.S. military against citizens in this manner.
The former FBI official concluded with a stark warning, urging the public and media to maintain a critical perspective: "We cannot accept what the government is telling us whole cloth." His comments underscore a deepening crisis of confidence between federal law enforcement narratives and independent analysis surrounding contentious immigration enforcement actions.
