Details of the deadly incident are still coming into focus, but based on the available information, we know that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a woman Wednesday during an operation in Minneapolis. The Trump administration immediately accused the victim — an unarmed, 37-year-old civilian — of “domestic terrorism,” even as many of those who’ve seen the video evidence of what transpired have drawn a very different conclusion.
“Having seen the video … myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said of the administration’s claims. “This was an [ICE] agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed.”
In theory, Donald Trump could’ve taken this opportunity to calm the waters and vow a thorough, independent investigation. In practice, however, the president responded to the developments in a typically Trumpian way.
In an online statement published to his social media platform, the Republican said he’d “viewed the clip” and accused one of the women in the video of being “obviously” a “professional agitator” — because, in Trump’s mind, those who agree with him and his agenda are real, while Americans who disagree with him deserve to be seen as inauthentic, illegitimate and motivated by corrupt schemes.
His statement went on to argue:
[T]he woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense. Based on the attached clip, it is hard to believe he is alive, but is now recovering in the hospital.
The situation is being studied, in its entirety, but the reason these incidents are happening is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis. They are just trying to do the job of MAKING AMERICA SAFE. We need to stand by and protect our Law Enforcement Officers from this Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate!
The clip he referenced was a 13-second video aired by the local ABC affiliate. Despite his claim, it and other videos make an assertion of “self-defense” much more complicated.
Indeed, White House critics marveled at Trump’s statement soon after it was published. Writer David Noll noted, “The president is … signaling to his followers in and out of government what the party line on this horrific murder will be. That it’s transparently false is almost beside the point. Indeed, publicly adopting the falsehood will fast become a loyalty test.”
Exactly one year ago this week, The New York Times’ David French noted that Trump “is at his absolute worst in a crisis.” The columnist, whose observation at the time was related to foreign policy, added of the president, “He is not a man who is ready to meet important and dangerous moments.” That observation remains astute for a reason. For his part, Tim Walz, Minnesota’s Democratic governor, told the public on Wednesday afternoon, “Our administration is going to stop at nothing to seek accountability and justice. The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is working on the investigation.” Watch this space.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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