Good Faith David French: Dual State America and Authoritarianism - Renee Good and the Trump Administration
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Jan 29, 2026 
David French, a constitutional lawyer and commentator, lays out the idea of a 'dual state' where normal life coexists with sudden lawless prerogative power. He examines the Renee Good shooting as a warning sign, traces how authoritarianism expands through language and fear, and urges everyday people—especially faith communities—to take courageous, consequential action. Short, urgent, and provocative.
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America As A Dual State
- David French frames America as a 'dual state' with a normative state and a prerogative state operating in parallel.
- The prerogative state wields unchecked authority and snaps into place for those who cross it, while most citizens remain in ordinary legal life.
Renee Good Case As Illustration
- The Renee Good shooting illustrated the dual state when she acted as if she were in normal encounters with police but the officer operated with prerogative power.
- The administration's immediate lies and refusal to investigate pushed her case into that lawless zone.
Prerogative State Expands By Impunity
- The prerogative state is greedy and expands when left unchecked, often growing bit by bit until it threatens the normative state.
- Public exposure of prerogative abuses (like the Renee Good video) can awaken the normative state's conscience and enable reform.
