âStill Writing Fictionâ: Stephen King Faces Backlash Over Post About ICE Agent Jonathan Ross
- - âStill Writing Fictionâ: Stephen King Faces Backlash Over Post About ICE Agent Jonathan Ross
Marina UrmanJanuary 17, 2026 at 7:02 AM
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Author Stephen King is facing criticism over a social media post questioning the narrative that the ICE agent who fired at Renee Nicole Good was ârun overâ by her vehicle.
The King of Horror weighed in on the video that shows Jonathan Ross fatally striking Good in the face in Minneapolis last week.
As the FBI continues to investigate the incident, politicians on both sides of the aisle feel like footage from the encounter provides enough information to support their claims.
Stephen King sparked backlash after commenting on the footage showing ICE agent Jonathan Ross and Renee Nicole Good
Image credits: Mathew Tsang/Getty Images
President Donald Trump told The New York Times that Ross acted in self-defense and that Good âran [the agent] over.â
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey disputed this claim, stating, âYou donât need to take my word for it. You donât need to take their word for it. Watch the video. The ICE agent was not run over. You had a person that was definitively trying to just get out of there.â
Now, the 78-year-old horror author has shared his analysis of the January 7 video.
Image credits: Scott Eisen/Getty Images
King has been a vocal Trump critic since 2016, when he signed a letter condemning the presidentâs first candidacy.
On Friday (January 16), he posted on X, âThe visual evidence shows no indication that the agent who fired the weapon, Jonathan Ross, had been run over.â
Image credits: StephenKing
The reactions to the post highlight the divide over the incident and the broader role of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
The agency was created as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, following the September 11 attacks, to enforce immigration laws, which later became a central pillar of Trumpâs campaign.
âNo, he wasnât run âover.â He was hit with her car, though,â one user wrote.
âYou should watch it from the other angle. Adjust your glasses,â a separate user responded to King.
President Donald Trump said Ross acted in self-defense and claimed Good ran over the agent
Image credits: ProudSocialist
âThen why did he have internal bleeding?â another asked.
A pro-Trump X account with over 150,000 followers shared a GIF captioned âWhat an idiot!â
âThe visual evidence shows Renee Good tried to run over and M*RDER the ICE agent,â said MAGA influencer Gunther Eagleman.
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Image credits: stephenking
Still, many others agreed with King, noting that videos appeared to show Ross walking away from the scene without any visible signs of injury.
âThe videos make it crystal clearâno running over, just a desperate attempt to escape,â shared one user.
The Carrie author addressed the Minneapolis incident last week, writing, âThe louder right-wingers talk, the more worried they are. Renee Good has got them screaming.â
Videos of the encounter show ICE agents ordering Good out of her SUV before she attempted to drive off
Image credits: myriambregman
King has previously questioned Trump over the seizure of NicolĂĄs Maduro, accusing him of using concerns about democracy or narcoterr*rism as a façade to benefit from Venezuelaâs oil industry.
In 2018, the famous writer told late-night host Stephen Colbert that the president had blocked him on X.
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Videos of the incident show ICE agents approaching an SUV which is parked in the middle of a Minneapolis street and ordering the driver to exit the vehicle.
As the woman attempts to drive off, one agent points his weapon at her and fires three times.
Image credits: myriambregman
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After the incident, protests against ICE erupted in Minneapolis. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz claimed the agents conducting the crackdown in the city are âuntrainedâ and have been âpulling over people indiscriminately.â
Gov. Walz further accused the president of punishing the state after its residents âdared to vote against him three times.â
The Department of Homeland Security said Ross suffered internal bleeding following the encounter with Good
Image credits: patriottakes
The Department of Homeland Security said Ross suffered internal bleeding to his torso as a result of his encounter with Good.
DHS has not shared further details about the ICE agentâs condition. Itâs unclear how extensive the bleeding was, as internal bleeding can range from a bruise to severe blood loss.
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Amid the FBIâs ongoing investigation, it has been reported that six federal prosecutors resigned after the Justice Department allegedly ordered them to investigate Goodâs wife, Rebecca, who was filmed confronting Ross during the incident.
Goodâs family has reportedly hired the Chicago-based law firm Romanucci & Blandin to conduct their own investigation into the case. The firm previously represented George Floydâs family.
Two GoFundMe pages have been launched to support Goodâs family and Ross
Image credits: myriambregman
Originally from Colorado, Good was 37 years old and had no criminal record.
After the incident, two GoFundMe pages were launched to raise money for Goodâs family and for Jonathan Ross.
The fundraiser for the ICE agent has raised $762,000 at the time of writing, while the one for Goodâs family has raised nearly $1,500,000.
Many people questioned whether the ICE agent acted in self-defense during the incident
Source: âAOL Entertainmentâ