https://newrepublic.com/post/205161/donald-trump-minnesota-ice-shooting-renee-good-disrespectful
Trump Totally Changes Excuse for Why Renee Good Deserved to Get Shot
Donald Trump thinks this behavior still merits getting shot in the face.
President Donald Trump suggested that being “disrespectful” toward law enforcement justifies the deadly use of force.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One Sunday, Trump offered a new excuse for why an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis: She wasn’t being very nice.
“We have to respect our law enforcement. At a very minimum, that woman was very, very disrespectful to law enforcement,” he said. “And you heard the same noises, you saw the same crunch that I saw. You can’t do that with law enforcement, whether it’s police or ICE or Border Patrol or anybody else.”
When asked whether the use of deadly force was necessary, Trump replied: “It was highly disrespectful of law enforcement, the woman and her friend were highly disrespectful. You saw that.” He even suggested that Good and her wife (whom he incorrectly identified as her “friend”) were “professional agitators.”
So, in Trump’s America, being disrespectful toward law enforcement is enough to get you killed.
The “crunch” sound that Trump was referring to was from the 47-second clip filmed from the perspective of Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot and killed Good. In the video, there is a loud sound as Good tries to pull away from the group of officers. But the crunch wasn’t Ross being hit—more likely, it was him shooting his service weapon through her windshield.
Even if what Trump was saying was true, that Good had been “disrespectful” to law enforcement, that wouldn’t justify her killing. But once again, the video evidence Trump was referencing quickly disproved his own claim.
The video taken by Ross as he stalked around her vehicle showed Good behind the driver’s seat, saying: “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you.” The president’s version of events conveniently ignored other footage that showed Good wasn’t actually blocking traffic and had waved the agents past her car, urging them to “go around!”
Instead of pulling around, the ICE agents swarmed her vehicle, pulling on the doors and demanding she “get out of the fucking car!” One witness even said that another officer ordered her to leave. When she attempted to drive away, Ross, who was in front of the vehicle, shot her at least three times.
Trump had previously claimed that Good “ran [the officer] over,” before reporters had to brutally point out that video evidence did not actually support that claim.
Trump Sends Dangerously Mixed Messages on Iran Protests
Donald Trump said the Iranian regime is crossing a red line—and then he said he’s open to negotiate.
President Trump declared on Sunday that Iran crossed a “red line” after the country’s violent crackdown on anti-government protest, before walking it back.
“On Iran, have they crossed your red line yet to trigger a response?” a reporter asked the president while aboard Air Force One.
“They’re starting to, it looks like. And there seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed,” Trump said. “You can call ’em leaders; I don’t know if they’re leaders … they rule through violence. But we’re looking at it very seriously … we’re looking at some very strong options.”
But he then floated negotiating with the leaders ruling “through violence.”
“Iran called to negotiate [yesterday] … the leaders of Iran,” he told reporters. “I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States.
“A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what is happening before the meeting, but a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”
At least 544 protesters have been reported dead and 10,600 detained by the Islamic Republic of Iran as demonstrations enter their third week. Iranians are entering their fifth day without internet access.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell Rings Every Alarm Bell About DOJ Investigation
This could be the beginning of the end of the Federal Reserve’s independence.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell shot back at President Trump Sunday after the Department of Justice served the Fed’s board with grand jury subpoenas.
In a statement, Powell called the move a “threat of criminal charges,” saying it was a “consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President.”
“I have deep respect for the rule of law and for accountability in our democracy. No one—certainly not the chair of the Federal Reserve—is above the law. But this unprecedented action should be seen in the broader context of the administration’s threats and ongoing pressure,” Powell noted.
Trump has railed against Powell and his stewardship of the Fed for months, attacking the chairman whom he appointed during his first term on everything from his criticism of tariffs to his refusal to cut interest rates as quickly or as much as Trump wants. This grand jury summons is ostensibly over the high cost of renovations to the Fed’s office buildings, which Trump has exaggerated as pretext to attack Powell.
Powell warned that the DOJ’s action is a pretext to coerce the Fed to do Trump’s bidding.
“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” Powell said.
By law, the Fed is supposed to be politically independent. That hasn’t stopped Trump from trying to fire one of the board’s governors, Lisa Cook, or from issuing this unheard-of subpoena. In reality, Trump is mad that his own policies are tanking the economy, but refuses to recognize that. Unfortunately for him, having yes-men at the Fed will not bring forth the economic renaissance Trump seems to think he’s capable of.
Trump, 79, Accidentally Reads Marco Rubio’s Private Note Out Loud
Donald Trump continues to bumble around.
Donald Trump humiliated himself Friday when Secretary of State Marco Rubio tried to slyly pass him a note during a meeting with oil executives, and the president immediately read it aloud.
Trump was in the midst of promising “a very nice return” for executives from Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon, Halliburton, Valero, and Marathon—in exchange for a $100 billion investment in rebuilding Venezuela’s energy sector, when he was suddenly sidetracked by a scrap of paper from Rubio.
“You’re all gonna do very well—Marco just gave me a note. ‘Go back to Chevron, they want to discuss something,’” Trump read, turning to look at Chevron Vice Chairman Mark Nelson. “Go ahead, I’m going back to Chevron, Mark.”
Rubio grimaced uncomfortably, as Trump patted him on the back. “Thank you, Marco,” he said.
“Was there a question, Mr. President?” Nelson asked.
“Yes, go ahead Marco, what are you saying here?” Trump asked, inspecting the note again.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright jumped in. “Mark, if you could update us on operations on the ground, appropriate approvals, what you might be able to achieve in the next 12 to 18 months—give us a little view from the ground,” he said.
Nelson
launched into a description of Chevron’s ground operations. Chevron is
the only oil company currently operating in Venezuela, as part of a
joint venture with Petróleos de Venezuela. Wright told CNBC
Wednesday that the Trump administration was receiving “daily updates”
from Chevron and working closely to “allow their model to grow even
more.”
Trump’s gaffe was part of a larger trend of cognitive decline, as the aged president has spent the last year in office appearing to fall asleep during meetings and giving incoherent, confused rants.
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