Imagine if you will that somewhere in America a drunken, middle-aged White man drove his car into a teenager, killing him and then told the police he did so because the teen was a member of Black Lives Matter, or a gay rights or abortion activist. It would be the biggest news story in the country. But what if he said he killed a "Republican extremist?" We can now say that this version of the story is met with media crickets. 

Cayler Ellingson is dead. Allegedly he was run over and left to die by Shannon Brandt. Although details of the tragedy are sketchy and still emerging, one thing is clear. Brandt invoked Joe Biden’s new favorite phrase, "Republican extremist," to justify his actions. 

Only one of two things can be the case here. Either Brandt did believe Ellingson was a Republican extremist and therefore a fair target for killing, or he thought that in today’s society that excuse when talking to the authorities would have purchase and credibility. After all, if these people are destroying the country and the very fabric of democracy as the president claims, why aren’t they fair targets?

A competent news media that was serving the public interest would be holding the White House’s feet to the fire after the president’s own rhetoric, literally word for word, was used by an alleged killer to excuse vehicular homicide.