A slain mother and the triumph of Trump's lies

The distinguishing mark of loyalty to Trump — the proof of submission — is the willingness to repeat something everyone knows is false

Demonstrators protest outside the White House in Washington on Saturday against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis. Photo: AP/Jose Luis Magana

When US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declared that a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother had been gunned down by federal officials because she was committing “an act of domestic terrorism”, she was not making a factual claim. 

She was seeking a megalomaniac’s approval. Her boss, US President Donald Trump, soon rewarded her zeal, posting on Truth Social that the victim “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer”. Vice President JD Vance then dutifully proclaimed that “the gaslighting is off the charts,” dismissing all criticism as lies.