As the winter winds swept through Minneapolis in January 2026, the city found itself at the heart of a national debate over immigration enforcement, media coverage, and the power of late-night television to shape public sentiment. At the center of the storm was the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother, by a federal immigration agent—a tragedy that sparked waves of protest and a cascade of pointed commentary from some of America’s most prominent media voices.
The incident unfolded on a quiet residential street, just after Renee Good had dropped off her 6-year-old son at school. According to multiple reports, including a detailed segment on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, Good was shot and killed by an agent from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during what authorities described as part of the Trump administration’s latest anti-immigrant operation. The administration quickly labeled Good’s death as the result of “an act of domestic terrorism,” a claim that ignited fierce backlash from community members and national commentators alike.
On January 8, 2026, Seth Meyers didn’t mince words during his monologue. “A 37-year-old mother in a Honda Pilot was shot dead on a residential street and they’re calling her a terrorist,” he told his audience, referencing the official narrative that had begun circulating in conservative media. Meyers drew a sharp contrast between the treatment of Good and that of the January 6, 2021, Capitol rioters, whom former President Trump had repeatedly called “patriots” and “heroes.” “The same people who called those who stormed a federal building ‘heroes,’ the same people who supported pardoning those who beat Capitol Police officers while ignoring their orders to stop are telling us that a woman shot dead in her own car in her own community is a domestic terrorist,” Meyers said, his tone oscillating between disbelief and outrage.
Meyers went further, accusing the administration of misleading the public about the true targets of its deportation agenda. “The president lied from the jump,” he declared, “by claiming that ‘criminals,’ ‘murderers’ and ‘drug dealers’ would be the focus of such efforts. Instead, the administration has blanked America with federal immigration agents who have disrupted neighborhoods, schools and businesses.” According to Meyers, the government’s narrative about the Minneapolis shooting was “indefensible, which is why they have to lie about it.”
The controversy didn’t remain confined to the political sphere. On January 12, 2026, as protests continued to roil Minneapolis, Fox News host Sean Hannity attempted to capture the mood on the ground by tossing to reporter Garrett Tenney for a live interview with a demonstrator. What followed was perhaps not the segment Hannity had envisioned. The protester, brimming with indignation, condemned ICE’s actions in no uncertain terms. “I think it’s absolutely abhorrent that they’re kidnapping people. I’m disgusted that they murdered an innocent human being. And yeah, the entire thing just absolutely abhors me—this has to stop immediately,” the protester told Tenney, his words broadcast live to a national audience.
Late-night television, never one to miss a beat, seized on the moment. The following night, Seth Meyers lampooned Hannity’s attempt at on-the-ground reporting during his Late Night monologue. With his signature blend of sarcasm and social commentary, Meyers joked, “I’m sorry, but how dare you go on Fox News and state such a normal, reasonable opinion!” He riffed further, parodying the language often used by conservative pundits: “If you keep this up, the president’s going to be so sad he’ll walk over to the window and never come back!”
Meyers didn’t stop there, poking fun at the perennial right-wing trope of “paid, left-wing agitators.” He quipped that the Minneapolis protester must have been part of a “shadowy, far-left conspiracy” and humorously feigned alarm when the man revealed a bell he’d received at the demonstration. “Oh my God, he’s got a bell! Quick, cover your ears. If he rings it three times, you have no choice but to sit down for dinner,” Meyers cracked, drawing laughter from his studio audience and viewers at home.
While the political drama played out, Late Night with Seth Meyers continued its regular programming, offering viewers a mix of sharp political commentary and celebrity interviews. The week of January 12 to January 15, 2026, marked the show’s return to new episodes, with a lineup that included Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke discussing her new espionage series Ponies, Connie Storrie making his late-night debut to promote Heated Rivalry, and Kristen Wiig unpacking the season 2 finale of Palm Royale. Other guests that week included Lee Byung-hun on his satirical film No Other Choice, stand-up comic Jay Jurden, Alan Cumming discussing The Traitors season 4, Ali Larter on Landman season 2, Kenan Thompson with his children’s book Unfunny Bunny, and Carrie Coon on her Broadway psychological thriller Bug. The show’s Friday, January 16, episode was slated as a rebroadcast featuring Jodie Foster and Simu Liu.
But it was clear that the real headline of the week was not celebrity banter, but the ongoing fallout from the Minneapolis shooting and the Trump administration’s response. The juxtaposition of late-night satire and real-world tragedy highlighted the unique role that programs like Late Night play in American discourse: equal parts entertainment, critique, and catharsis.
As the protests in Minneapolis continued, the national conversation around immigration enforcement, media accountability, and the power of narrative showed no signs of abating. For many, the killing of Renee Nicole Good became a flashpoint—a symbol of the broader tensions simmering beneath the surface of American society. And in the hands of sharp-tongued commentators like Seth Meyers, those tensions were given voice, humor, and, perhaps most importantly, a platform for public reckoning.
In a week marked by grief, outrage, and biting satire, the city of Minneapolis—and the nation at large—found itself grappling with uncomfortable questions about justice, truth, and the stories we choose to tell.
