Bill Maher laughs off question about celebs' tribute pins for ICE shooting victim
Bill Maher questioned his fellow Hollywood stars for wearing pins to the Golden Globes to pay tribute to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shooting victim Renee Nicole Good. The comedian condemned Good's killing as a 'terrible thing' while blaming ICE 'thugs'for the mother-of-three's death, but said sporting a badge wasn't necessary. USA Today stopped Maher on the red carpet to ask whether he thought that wearing a pin to the glitzy California awards show was an 'effective form of activism'.
'Come on,' Maher responded with a laugh. 'We're just here for showbusiness today 'You know, it was a terrible thing that happened and it shouldn't have happened, and if they didn't act like such thugs it wouldn't have had to happen. 'But I don't need to wear a pin about it.' Multiple celebrities, including Wicked stars Ariana Grander, Mark Ruffalo and Natasha Lyonne, along with Hacks actress Jean Smart wore the pins to the awards show.
The host Wanda Sykes - who used one of her speeches at the Los Angeles show to mock Maher- also donned the badge on the lapel of her glittery silver suit. Sykes told Varietyshe wore the pin 'for the mother who was murdered by an ICE agent' when a reporter asked her about the accessory. 'I know people were out marching and all today. And we need to speak up,' the comedian added.
'We need to be out there and shut this rogue government down,' Sykes said 'Because it's just awful what they're doing to people.' Good, 37, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan 'Jon' Ross in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday. Horrific videos which quickly went viral online showed Good's final moments, as well as the interaction she had with Ross before he shot her in the head.
Good's car was parked perpendicular across a road, seemingly to block the ICE agents patrolling the scene. Ross approached the car, and Good can be heard saying from inside the SUV: 'That's fine, dude. I'm not mad.' Her wife, Rebecca Good, 40, then urged Ross, who wore a face covering, to 'show his face' as she asked him: 'You want to come at us?' As the tension mounted, Good was told to get out of the car, but ignored orders.
She began revving the engine and drove off during what the Trump Administration said was part of a protest against the planned detention of Somali migrants in the area. Ross's camera then jerked. It is unclear if he was struck by the car or jumped to get out of its way. The ICE agent fired three shots, including one through the front windshield of the Honda, that struck and killed Good. Federal officials have claimed the shooting was an act of self-defense, while the city's mayor had condemned it as 'reckless' and unnecessary.
