President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he does not believe Alex Pretti was “acting as an assassin” in Minneapolis before Border Patrol agents killed him — a position that conflicts with the Department of Homeland Security’s assertion that Pretti was preparing to “massacre law enforcement.”
“I don’t think so,” Trump, 79, told a reporter on Tuesday, Jan. 27, before boarding a flight to Iowa, when asked whether he believed Pretti was an intended assassin.
Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and American citizen, was shot and killed by Border Patrol while filming an immigration operation on Saturday, Jan. 24. DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the shooting occurred after Pretti allegedly got in agents’ way during what she described as a “targeted operation” involving “an illegal alien wanted for violent assault.”
McLaughlin said Pretti “approached” officers while armed with a handgun and “violently resisted” when agents tried to disarm him. She characterized the situation as one in which an individual appeared to want to do “maximum damage” and “massacre law enforcement,” adding that “defensive shots” were fired.
But witnesses later circulated videos that appeared to challenge key parts of DHS’ account. The footage suggested Pretti was holding a phone — not a gun — when officers pepper sprayed him and forced him to the ground. The videos also indicated his weapon may have already been removed from his waist before shots were fired.
A day after the shooting, Pretti’s family posted a statement on social media condemning DHS’ claims as “sickening lies” and calling the Trump administration “reprehensible and disgusting.”
While disputing the “assassin” label, Trump still criticized Pretti for being at the scene with a gun on his waist.
“You can’t have guns, you can’t walk in with guns,” Trump said, calling the incident “very unfortunate.”
A reporter challenged Trump’s framing, noting that Pretti’s actions could be protected by the Second Amendment. Minneapolis police have said Pretti was a lawful gun owner, and carrying the weapon on his person was not against state law.
Pretti’s death has sparked debate among Republicans, including disagreements over how DHS has publicly described the shooting and how those statements intersect with gun-rights arguments.
In a post on X, Republican Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, defended the DHS position, writing, “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.”
The National Rifle Association swiftly condemned that sentiment on X, writing, “This sentiment from the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California is dangerous and wrong.”
“Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens,” the conservative gun-rights organization added.
Following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots in 2021, hours into his first day in office on Jan. 20, Trump pardoned about 1,500 people charged in the attack.
Roughly 174 defendants were charged with using a dangerous weapon against police officers during the Capitol riots.
