Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) went nuclear in an interview with Leland Vittert on NewsNation Tuesday, dropping a megadose of unfiltered truth about the death of Renee Good and the media’s desperate efforts to twist the story for political gain. Donalds started by making it crystal clear that conservatives aren’t celebrating anyone’s death.
“There’s not a Republican in the country that wanted to see Renee Good lose her life,” he said, “but let’s also be clear.” That’s when he dropped the hammer. “She decided to put her foot on the accelerator when there was a law enforcement official right in front of her car.”
Donalds wasn’t indulging in euphemisms or media spin. He pointed out the obvious truth that every law-abiding American understands: you don’t try to run over a cop and expect to drive away unharmed. “It doesn’t matter if it was an ICE agent, Secret Service agent, a border security agent, sheriff in the State of Florida or the State of Minnesota, or your local cop in your local community,” he said.
Then came the blunt reality check: “If anybody decides that they are going to drive their car directly at a law enforcement official, you are taking your life into your own hands.”
Host Leland Vittert tried to steer the conversation toward legal technicalities, but Donalds wasn’t having it. “No, no, but this is beyond the law… This is common sense,” he insisted, as Vittert tried to backpedal.
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Even when Vittert pivoted to suggest that “the president’s tone is very different,” Donalds refused to let the conversation slip into optics. He redirected it toward morality and basic human instinct. “Leland, again, nobody wants to see Renee Good or any other American lose their life,” he said. “Forget, put law enforcement aside. If somebody drove their car at another human being, does that human being have the right to defend themselves?”
“I’m not arguing with that,” Vittert admitted.
“The answer is unequivocally yes,” Donalds pointed out.
Vittert tried to frame it in terms of tone again. Donalds saw right through that. “And that’s the problem with the media,” he said. “Because the media doesn’t wanna report about the reality of what happened on the ground. They wanna sensationalize for the purpose of diminishing President Trump when he is winning for the American people.” You could practically hear the studio air tighten at that moment.
“So why isn’t he winning this fight?” Vittert asked.
Donalds’ answer said everything about Donald Trump that his supporters already understand. “Because he’s a human being,” he replied. “He has a heart. Like I said at the top, nobody wants to see another human being lose their life. Nobody wants to see that, especially President Trump.”
Donalds continued, “Why do you think he’s been fighting so hard to end all these conflicts around the globe?” Donalds asked. “He doesn’t wanna see people dying anymore. He doesn’t wanna see that.”
LET'S BE CLEAR..
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) January 21, 2026
1 – Renee Good accelerated her car directly at law enforcement.
2 – The law enforcement officer under attack had the right to defend himself and he rightly did so.
3 – This is common sense.
4 – The media's flagrant over-sensationalism of this story is wrong. pic.twitter.com/U0jJLajzwA
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