“It was a complete murder.” Those words, spoken by Rep. Dan Goldman (D.N.Y.), were picked up by Democratic leaders after an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Goode as she drove towards him at high speed. Goldman, it seems, has taken on a role reminiscent of Madame Defarge from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities, who knitted while condemning the aristocrats during the French Revolution.
Goldman often overlooks the actions of his allies while neglecting due process for his opponents. He denied Antifa’s existence as an organization and claimed he hasn’t seen a rise in attacks on ICE officers.
He didn’t hesitate to label the police officer as a killer, asserting, “This was a complete murder. This officer not only needs to be fired and suspended, but he needs to be prosecuted based on the video.”
This video, however, does not support such strong accusations. The law generally allows police to use deadly force when faced with an imminent life-threatening situation.
The officer had mere moments to decide whether to fire his weapon as Goode sped towards him. She seemed to be attempting to evade police, and mere flight doesn’t justify deadly force. But if a vehicle is approaching an officer aggressively, it can be treated as a weapon, thus allowing for self-defense.
Goldman seems to know that legal precedents tend to favor officers in these situations. Yet, he’s also facing challenges from local socialists like Brad Lander, pushing him to adopt more radical rhetoric, including calls for impeachment and prosecution of the officer. In this narrative, the officer becomes less of a person, reduced to a political tool. It’s as if Goldman is willing to sacrifice anything for political gain, even if it risks jail time.
Others echoed the murder claims, including Mamdani, who proclaimed, “This morning, ICE agents killed a woman in Minneapolis, the latest horror in a year full of brutality.”
Moreover, Mamdani asserts that his focus will be on keeping current NYPD officers rather than increasing their numbers. This promise seems to lack sincerity when he suggests he won’t support officers in controversial incidents. The mayor quickly joined in, labeling the police officer a murderer without allowing for an investigation.
In moments of anger, it’s often the loudest voice that prevails.
This was clear in Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s outburst, where he immediately branded the police officer a murderer and dismissed the self-defense argument as “bullshit,” insisting ICE should “get the hell out of the city.” He later mocked his critics, saying he was sorry if his language offended anyone.
Similarly, Gov. Tim Walz stood alongside the public safety director, insisting on not speculating about the investigation while claiming Good was killed indiscriminately and painting ICE as instigating terror. Walz had previously described ICE as “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo,” taking people off the streets and sending them to torture in foreign countries. Yet, he seemed unconcerned about law enforcement receiving the same treatment.
Goldman, Mamdani, Frey, and others seem to thrive on political outrage, using the situation for personal gain. When politics is involved, law enforcement can become expendable.
Democrats also displayed a similar pattern in their condemnation of Border Patrol agents wrongfully accused of whipping migrants at the Texas border. Even after video evidence debunked those claims, many prominent Democrats and media figures continued to propagate the narrative, resulting in a year-long ordeal for the agents before their vindication.
There’s a method to this approach. As illustrated by Madame Defarge, sacrifices are often ignored in pursuit of political victories.
It’s true that Democrats may find success through inciting anger, but history warns that today’s radicals can easily shift to become tomorrow’s conservatives. Goldman is already facing pressure from the left, with some claiming he isn’t radical enough. Feeding off a culture of anger can be a risky endeavor, especially as someone could eventually emerge with a more appealing message.
Still, for the moment, Goldman and his allies appear unfazed by any backlash. They seem driven by political agendas, eager to capitalize on recent tragedies.
