Donald Trump made a controversial statement when questioned about whether lethal force was warranted in the case of Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three.
Renee, a 37-year-old American citizen, was fatally shot by an ICE agent in front of her spouse during a protest against ICE in Minneapolis on January 7.
Following her death, the Trump administration, including Kristi Noem and Trump, labeled Renee a ‘domestic terrorist’ and claimed she had tried to hit ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who shot her, with her car.
Nevertheless, investigations by several news organizations, including the New York Times, have disputed this account. Their analysis of footage from various angles indicates that Renee was attempting to flee the scene when Ross shot her three times at close range.
Recently, Trump addressed whether the use of deadly force against Renee was justified.
Trump stated: “It was highly disrespectful of law enforcement.”
He further alleged that they were ‘harassing’ the officers and ‘following them for days, for hours’, labeling them as ‘professional agitators’.
Regarding Renee’s wife, Becca Good, Trump commented: “The woman and her friend were highly disrespectful of law enforcement.”
Trump added: “Law enforcement should not be in a position where they have to put up with this stuff.”
He described the actions of Renee and her wife as ‘outrageous’.
In a video where Trump addresses journalists on a plane with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, he does not explicitly state whether deadly force was justified.
Renee’s death led to widespread grief and anger. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanded ICE ‘get the f**k out of Minneapolis’ to ensure public safety.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz informed the press that he had alerted the state’s national guard as a precautionary measure.
Additional footage from the incident shows ICE officers preventing a man, who identifies himself as a physician, from assisting Renee by checking for a pulse after she was shot.
When the man informed the officers of his intention to provide medical aid, an officer replied: “I don’t care.”
Footage shot by Ross on his phone captures Renee’s final words to him, where she calmly stated: “That’s fine dude. I’m not mad at you.”
As Renee’s vehicle spiraled out of control after she was shot, Ross can be heard muttering ‘f*****g b***h’.