Conservative Figures Use ‘AWFUL’ Label After Renee Good’s Killing

In the days after a federal agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, Republican officials and conservative commentators denounced her and some right-wing figures began using the acronym AWFUL — Affluent White Female Urban Liberal — to describe her and similar protesters. Conservative commentator Erik Erickson posted on social media, “An AWFUL (Affluent White Female Urban Liberal) is dead after running her car into an ICE agent who opened fire on her,” and the term has been taken up by others, including an AM radio co‑host in Orlando and internet users; the label also appeared on Wiktionary as AWFL.

The death and ensuing protests have prompted a wave of attacks aimed at white women in the streets, even though the article notes men have been equally present. Scholars and commentators tied the rhetoric to broader political anxieties: Dr. Shauna Shames said the language reflects fears among white, non‑college‑educated men, and the piece links the moment to longstanding themes such as “white replacement” and past far‑right protests.

The article cites exit‑poll findings that a majority of college‑educated women have been skeptical of Mr.

Key Topics

Politics, Renee Good, Minneapolis, Awful, Ice, Erik Erickson