The recent passing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman who died at the hands of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, has been heartbreaking for many and sparked vigils across the country to honor her memory. People have gathered in Minnesota and in states like New Jersey to mourn and call for accountability in the wake of her death.
Unfortunately, not everyone has shown respect at these gatherings. In at least one viral video from a vigil in New Jersey, a man who identified as a Trump supporter confronted a group of mourners more than 70 people gathered peacefully, and began yelling at them despite their peaceful presence. He mocked the camerawoman for filming him and continued his verbal harassment even though those attending the vigil did not provoke him.
Some people at the vigil reacted to his behavior by suggesting he had “Trump derangement,” and in response, he brought up unrelated political figures such as President Joe Biden during the confrontation. This incident highlighted how emotionally charged the public response has been as communities grapple with shock, grief, and political polarization in the days following Good’s death.
After the New Jersey MAGA supporter brought up Biden, one woman responded by saying she wished he were still president. From there, the man seemed to spiral, blurting out whatever came to mind, even when it had nothing to do with the vigil or Renee Good. He suddenly asked the mourners how much more money they planned to “steal” and give to “illegals,” a comment that had no connection whatsoever to why people were gathered. He then crossed another line by calling the mourners “a crowd of idiots,” before laughing and saying, “It’s a big joke when people get killed because of all your nonsense.” He followed that up by claiming he wasn’t afraid of the left wing and calling them a “disgrace.” Ironically, the only disgrace on display was the person disrupting a vigil.
It later became clear that the man had been harassing the mourners for quite some time. In another video, he grew increasingly agitated as the crowd calmly chanted, “Remember Renee.” He tried to shout over them by yelling, “Remember Charlie Kirk,” but the group continued their chant without engaging him. Frustrated, he switched tactics again, yelling, “God bless America,” before finally starting to back away as the chanting never stopped.
Even then, he didn’t seem to grasp that he wasn’t welcome. A third video showed him leaving the area but repeatedly turning back from the street to shout at the mourners again and again. At some point, it becomes clear that the problem isn’t the vigil, it’s the person who couldn’t stand seeing others mourn in peace. It’s time for him to find a hobby.
People Reacting to the Unhinged New Jersey Trump Supporter Interrupting the Vigil
Many people online didn’t hold back when reacting to the Trump supporter’s behavior in New Jersey. Since he was white, one commenter bluntly wrote, “Old white people are the worst people.” Another flipped his own rhetoric back on him, saying, “He has Trump derangement syndrome.” Some viewers felt that, despite his repeated claims otherwise, the man was clearly afraid. “Usually when they say ‘I’m not afraid,’ fear is their biggest motivator,” one TikTok user pointed out. Another echoed that sentiment, writing, “The way he keeps insisting he’s not afraid makes me think he was actually scared of us little ladies.”
Others zoomed out to criticize Trump supporters more broadly, with one person describing them as part of a cult. “The Trump cult members are just miserable and hateful,” they wrote. “It’s sad if you really think about it. They’re lost, bottom dwellers.”
Several other comments continued to criticize the New Jersey man, with many questioning what he was even talking about. “What does Charlie Kirk have to do with this?” one person asked. Another pointed out the contradiction in his outrage, saying they couldn’t understand how he could be angry about Kirk while dismissing Renee Good’s death. “If he’s mad that CK was unjustly killed, then why is he against Renee’s unjust killing?” they wrote.
Others zoomed out to comment on what they see as a broader pattern among Republicans. “It’s weird,” one person said. “They won and they’re getting what they wanted, but they’re still enraged.” That observation prompted another reply: “They want us to like it.”
In the end, many agreed on one thing it’s deeply unfortunate that anyone would think it’s acceptable to behave this way at a vigil meant to honor someone who lost their life.
