How Trump is Losing the Fight on the ICE Shooting
New data shows the smear campaign of Renee Good is failing miserably
Within minutes of the horrific shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent, the Trump administration started lying about what happened. They called Good a deranged lunatic, a domestic terrorist, and claimed she tried to use her vehicle as a weapon.
Kristi Noem held two press conferences. Trump began posting on social media. J.D. Vance went to the White House briefing room and delivered a disgusting, inhumane, and dishonest performance.
Simultaneously, the right-wing media machine went into hyperdrive to sell Trump’s version of events.
They stuck to their story despite video evidence contradicting every one of their claims. Trump, Vance, Noem, et al. doubled and tripled down. They clearly believe they can change people’s perception of reality through the sheer force of propaganda. That approach has worked for them before. Trump and his allies are very good at spinning a yarn about an out-of-control radical left that despises America and is hostile to law enforcement.
Trump’s ability to bend reality to his will is the foundation of his political success. It’s how he has survived so many moments that would have ended other politicians’ careers.
But it is not working this time.
In what may be the most high-profile failure of the Trump media machine, the American people are not falling for Trump’s lies.
This is an important moment, with serious implications for Trump’s near-term political standing and for the longer-term politics of immigration in America.
A Moment That Broke Through
The fundamental dynamic of modern politics is that political junkies like us follow every twist and turn, while most of the country pays little to no attention. This is why polls rarely move with the Trumpian outrage du jour.
But there are moments that break out of the political media bubble and onto the social media feeds and radar screens of people who don’t voraciously consume political news.
Those moments can change the direction of politics—and the shooting of Renee Good is one of them.
