Given how long Donald Trump’s been alive (that’s almost eight years for those counting) it’s too much to hope that he’ll be making any significant changes to the way he does things.
That’s what endears him to his followers, I’ll admit, but it’s also what elevates him to a level of villain frighteningly close to the infamous dictators of global history in the eyes of his detractors.
There are many things Trump’s two terms (providing, of course, that it remains just the two terms) as POTUS will be remembered for. One is the wildly colorful, wholly unpredictable press conferences he holds, where reporters field their questions and have literally no idea what they’re going to get back.
Trump’s rambling and ranting on social media has become common practise of late, and he’s never been one to shy away from speaking his mind on camera. Nor, it seems, does he ever put any serious amount of rehearsal or thought into what he’s going to say, with his answers on a number topics interpreted by many as being erratic.
This week, Trump was asked once more about the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minnesota. Good was shot three times at close range by Jonathan Ross, with video footage of the incident appearing to show that she was turning her vehicle away from ICE agents, not towards them, as initially claimed by the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump himself backed the DHS in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, describing Good’s actions as “pretty tough”. His administration went a ways further, labeling Good, a U.S. citizen, as a “domestic terrorist.”
Yesterday Trump was again asked his opinion on Good’s tragic death, and opted to respond to the ‘terrible’ incident by highlighting her father’s alleged ‘love’ of MAGA.
During a press conference at the White House, Trump said he “felt horribly” after being told about “the young woman”, reflecting on her killing as a “tragedy”.
“It’s a horrible thing. Everybody would say – ICE would say the same thing,” Trump said.
In typical Trump fashion, though, he couldn’t simply leave it there, having made a reasonable and somewhat sentimental statement. Instead, he chose to bring up the supposed political allegiances of Good’s father.
Trump said he learned Good’s parents “and her father in particular,” was “a tremendous Trump fan”. The president added that he “hope[s] he still is,” but “doesn’t know”.
“He was all for Trump,” Trump rambled. “Loved Trump. And it’s terrible. I was told that by a lot of people.”
“They said, ‘Oh, he loves you’ … I hope he still feels that way. It’s a hard, hard situation. But her father was a tremendous, and parents were tremendous Trump fans,” he said.
“It’s so sad. It just happens.”
Good’s death served to further escalate tensions in the U.S. The 37-year-old’s partner, Rebecca Good, detailed how she and Good had returned home to find ICE agents swarming their neighbors. The couple stopped to ‘support’ them, Rebecca told Minnesota Public Radio.
Good was present as a legal observer of ICE’s undertaking, though she was shot when the aforementioned Jonathan Ross purportedly believed her to be trying to run him over.
In a recent letter shared with USA Today, Good’s family said: “We want to thank everyone who has reached out in support of Renee and our family. The kind of unending care we’ve been given during this time is exactly the kind that she gave to everyone.
“Nae was the beautiful light of our family and brought joy to anyone she met. She was relentlessly hopeful and optimistic which was contagious. We all already miss her more than words could ever express.”
READ MORE
- Official docs reveal startling details about how many times Renee Good was shot
- Father of Renee Good’s late husband breaks silence after seeing new angle of shooting footage
