Renee Nicole Good is dead because evangelical Christians have excused Donald Trump’s lies.
Is that a harsh assessment? Absolutely.
Is it accurate? Absolutely.
Mark Wingfield
Here’s why: Trump’s first and second elections as president of the United States were built on a house of lies that catered to evangelicals in particular. Trump named their greatest fears and told them what they wanted to hear, along with his pledge to be the one person who can fix all their fears. That itself was a lie.
For the past decade, we have begged evangelicals to shun Trump because the truth is not in him. Their reply usually is an attempt to change the subject:
- “All politicians lie”
- “But her emails”
- “But abortion”
- “His lies are harmless.”
Trump’s incessant lying is not harmless. Not only has he infected others with his habit of lying — JD Vance, Kristi Noem, Pete Hegseth, Mike Johnson, for example — he has created crisis after crisis with deadly consequences:
- “Immigrants are ruining our country.”
- “Other nations are sending us their worst criminals.”
- “Black and brown immigrants come from shithole countries.”
- “Venezuelan boats are importing drugs.”
- “Democratic-led cities are murder capitals.”
- “No one will die when we cut off USAID shipments.”
“The only reason ICE agents were patrolling in Minneapolis this week is because Trump has lied so long about rounding up and deporting the ‘worst of the worst’ immigrants.”
The only reason ICE agents were patrolling in Minneapolis this week is because Trump has lied so long about rounding up and deporting the “worst of the worst” immigrants. The police state created by ICE and CBP within the past year was made possible only by Trump supporters — including those in Congress — believing Trump’s lies or making light of them.
So we should not be surprised that when Renee Good was shot dead at close range by an ICE officer Jan. 7, Trump and his liars-in-arms immediately started spewing lies about what happened. There are multiple videos of the murder available, and they all undermine everything Trump and Vance and Noem have said about the incident. Their lying has reached such extravagant peak that their followers — again, largely Christian people — are forced to believe what they can see with their own eyes isn’t really true.
It’s one thing to lie about the size of the crowd at your inauguration, but it’s another thing to lie about a thuggish law enforcement agent murdering a woman in cold blood. I can believe the video because I’ve seen Trump’s secret police at work in Charlotte and Dallas and Nashville. And because I know Trump’s first instinct it to lie, lie, lie.
What Trump and Vance and Noem have said about Good’s death is outrageous and criminal in itself. And yet Trump’s Jesus-loving supporters don’t care, will not be swayed, keep standing by their man.
Ignoring Trump’s lies has deadly consequences, and the death of Renee Nicole Good is only the latest example. Those who have laughed off Trump’s lies, those who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s lies, those who have comforted themselves by saying, “All politicians lie” are to blame.
It is way past time for America to come to its senses and remove these world champion liars from office. All of them. Failure to do so is to be complicit in their escalating crimes.
Mark Wingfield serves as executive director and publisher of Baptist News Global. He is the author of Honestly: Telling the Truth About the Bible and Ourselves.
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