John,

It was obvious to anyone who watched the videos: Renée Nicole Good did not attack an ICE agent and did nothing to justify being shot and killed last week in Minneapolis. The footage shows no imminent threat — just a devastating, irreversible act of state violence carried out against a civilian.

In a functioning democracy, that would have been the starting point: facts, evidence, and an investigation conducted before conclusions were drawn.

Instead, Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Kristi Noem immediately blamed Renée Good and contradicted what the public could see with their own eyes. They labeled her a “terrorist” and claimed the agent feared for his life — assertions that collapse under even minimal scrutiny of the video.

What followed was an Orwellian propaganda campaign, remarkable for how openly federal officials worked to fix the narrative before any credible investigation could take place.

This is how authoritarianism actually works — not all at once, but when institutions meant to serve the public are repurposed to protect power instead. Moments like this are when powerful actors move fastest to control the story — and when independent journalism matters most. If you believe the public deserves truth rather than propaganda, we invite you to support COURIER.

New reporting from Media Matters for America shows how Fox News played a central role in carrying that propaganda to millions of viewers.

Here’s what they found:

• Fox News aired or quoted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at least 17 times in a single day, repeating the false claim that Renée tried to “ram” ICE agents with her car.
• Anchors repeatedly told viewers Fox now had “more facts,” while pushing a version of events not supported by the video evidence.
• Even after some hosts briefly acknowledged that the story didn’t add up, primetime shows reverted to the administration’s narrative — portraying Renée as a threat and the killing as justified.
• Jesse Watters mocked Renée on air, dismissing her death while reinforcing the same false storyline.

Countering Fox News — and protecting truth — is exactly why COURIER exists.

From the beginning, our coverage focused on what the videos actually showed. While MAGA worked to erase responsibility and normalize violence, our journalists centered evidence and reached millions of people on social media who otherwise may have only seen the lie.

If you believe journalism should confront lies instead of laundering them — if you believe the media should protect citizens telling the truth, not endanger them by hiding it — we need your help to keep doing this work.

Please consider supporting COURIER today. Your support makes it possible to challenge propaganda, expose abuses of power, and insist on reality when others are trying to bury it.

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In solidarity,
The COURIER Team