Donald Trump claims ICE shot Renee Good because she ‘behaved horribly,’ but failed to prove it after bombshell footage
Trump played the video and undercut his own talking points.
Donald Trump insists that ICE shot Renee Nicole Good because she “behaved horribly” and “ran over” an officer. But when confronted with bystander footage, the president stalled, softened, and let silence replace evidence.
After the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, The New York Times reached out to President Trump for comments. He simply had to explain why a 37-year-old U.S. citizen woman was shot dead by a federal agent. But of course, video evidence already suggests that the shooting was uncalled for. So, Trump decided to just go with the federal narrative.
The president confidently declared that ICE had shot Good in self-defense. He described the incident as a “vicious situation.” He repeatedly framed Good herself as the problem, as someone “very disorderly,” who “behaved horribly.” And as always, he also gave verdicts right away. “She didn’t try to run him over,” Trump said. “She ran him over.”
That was the federal claim, but journalists told him that the bystander video shows nothing like that. Yet, Trump doesn’t like being wrong. So, he responded with bravado, offering to prove himself on the spot. “I’ll play the tape for you right now,” he said. But as the slow-motion footage rolled, the certainty vanished, and the president could no longer finish his own sentence.
When the video spoke, Trump couldn’t
Trump’s aide then brought a laptop to the Resolute Desk, and a slow-motion surveillance footage rolled. As reporters pointed out that this angle did not show an officer being struck, Trump trailed off. “Well,” he said. “I—the way I look at it…” and he never finished the thought. Instead, his tone shifted and his certainty dissolved into discomfort.
“It’s a terrible scene,” Trump said after the video ended. “I think it’s horrible to watch. No, I hate to see it.” On one hand, he continued to assert that Good had endangered officers. On the other hand, he insisted he wanted “to see nobody get shot.” Without wasting a breath, he also claimed, “I want to see nobody screaming and trying to run over policemen either.”
But nowhere did Trump reconcile the contradiction. He did not explain how footage that didn’t show an agent being run over still confirmed his version of events. He did not revise his earlier statements and let the moment pass.
The New York Times analyzed all public videos, and none show Renee Good running over an ICE agent
The New York Times later published a detailed analysis of bystander videos filmed from multiple angles. If anything had not been clear to Trump in that room on Wednesday night, it should be now.
According to the analysis, the footage shows Good’s SUV stopped in the street, federal vehicles nearby, and agents approaching. After an ICE agent reaches into the vehicle, the SUV reverses and turns right, probably attempting to leave. When the shots are fired, the agent who opens fire is positioned to the left of the vehicle. Notably, the wheels of Good’s SUB are clearly angled away from him.
In short, synchronized footage suggests the agent was not in the path of the SUV when he fired three close-range shots at the 37-year-old. Another grainy angle, frequently cited by federal officials, appears to show contact. But when aligned with clearer footage, it does not support the claim that the officer was run over. That discrepancy is the difference between a defensive shooting and a cold-blooded murder.
But Trump or his aides never withdrew their claims. At the same time, they could not substantiate it either. Trump simply pivoted to the language of regret without accountability. And those who can be held accountable, like Kristi Noem, have decided to stick to their lies.
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