Renee Good’s death sparked a fierce media response, labeling her unjustly as a domestic terrorist while obscuring her true identity.
On January 7, an ICE agent named Jonathan Ross shot Good through her car window. Reports say she had four gunshot wounds. Hours later, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed she had “weaponized her vehicle.” President Donald Trump said she had “violently run over” the agent who shot her. Vice President JD Vance called her death a “tragedy of her own making.”
Bystander videos told a different story. They showed Good trying to drive away when the shots were fired. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said the self-defense story was “bullshit.”
Even with the video evidence, some conservative media blamed Good for her death. Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire said she was “100 percent to blame.” Megyn Kelly agreed, saying it was “her own doing.” It felt like everyone thought she deserved it.
Justifying her death went beyond what she did with her car. Much of it focused on Good’s identity as a queer woman. Walsh called her a “lesbian agitator.” A right-wing commentator named Ian Miles Cheong called her a “rug munching leftist.” On Fox News, Jesse Watters pointed out that Good “leaves behind a lesbian partner” and mentioned that she had “pronouns in her bio,” connecting this to her Instagram.
Good was in a relationship with Becca Good. They had just moved to Minneapolis to “make a better life” for themselves. They had previously left Kansas City for Canada after Trump’s 2024 victory before coming back.
A couple of days later, videos leaked showing the moments before the shooting. Good was behind the wheel, saying calmly, “I’m not mad at you.” Becca was outside the car talking to Ross. She seemed unafraid, even telling the person filming, “Go get yourself some lunch, big boy.” As Good tried to leave, Ross fired shots. Right before Good’s car crashed, someone was heard saying a mean slur.
Whoever leaked that video didn’t edit it. They felt that they didn’t need to.
Courtney Hagle, a director at Media Matters for America, said conservative media shows disgust toward women in these cases. She noted that they seem very angry toward liberal women, especially white women. The video made it clear to them that Good was not someone they should care about.
Some comments labeled Becca as Good’s “so-called wife,” which seemed like a way to dismiss their relationship.
While talking to reporters, President Trump called Becca Good Renee’s “friend.” He said, “The woman and her friend were highly disrespectful of law enforcement.” Leigh Finke, Minnesota’s first openly trans legislator, said this erasure sends a message. She noted, “They portray it as disrespectful lesbian women who are not obeying men in power.”