President Donald Trump, in a Wall Street Journal interview published Sunday evening, criticized Alex Jeffrey Pretti for carrying a gun at a Minneapolis protest where the 37-year-old ICU nurse was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent.
Trump spoke with the Journal by phone for about five minutes, addressing major developments over the weekend and the backlash his administration has faced over how officials responded after the shooting.
The Context
Pretti’s killing happened less than three weeks after Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three and a U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by an immigration agent in the same city.
Both deaths have ignited protests and condemnation. In each case, federal and state officials have offered sharply different accounts, while bystander video footage has fueled questions and intensified criticism.
Federal officials have said Pretti resisted violently, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has described the agent’s actions as “defensive shots.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has rejected that explanation, calling it “nonsense” and “lies.”
Trump has argued his administration is sending resources into Minneapolis to tackle two main issues: allegations of fraud in the state—particularly after an audit flagged major problems in oversight of behavioral health grants at the Minnesota Department of Human Services—and what he called “Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy.”
What To Know
Trump told the Journal: “I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it. But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn’t play good either.”
Pretti worked at the Minneapolis VA hospital and was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry. Authorities and public records cited by local media indicate he had no serious criminal history.
Videos verified by multiple news outlets show Pretti holding a phone in his right hand and nothing in his left just before he was shot—footage that appears to conflict with federal claims that he approached officers with a gun.
In the same interview, Trump was asked about when federal agents would leave Minnesota. “At some point we will leave. We’ve done, they’ve done a phenomenal job,” he said, without giving a timeline. Pressed on whether agents would depart soon, he emphasized what the administration says it has achieved and added: “We’ll leave a different group of people there for the financial fraud.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office will go to court Monday to challenge what he described as an “illegal and unconstitutional occupation” of Minnesota cities by federal immigration agents. Meanwhile, U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud issued a temporary restraining order Saturday barring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from altering or destroying evidence related to Pretti’s death.
What People Are Saying
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, on X: “Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a Constitutionally protected God-given right, and if you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government.”
Michael and Susan Pretti, Alex Pretti’s parents: “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in a post on X on January 24: “I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
National Rifle Association (NRA) on X: “For months, radical progressive politicians like Tim Walz have incited violence against law enforcement officers who are simply trying to do their jobs. Unsurprisingly, these calls to dangerously interject oneself into legitimate law-enforcement activities have ended in violence, tragically resulting in injuries and fatalities. As there is with any officer-involved shooting, there will be a robust and comprehensive investigation that takes place to determine if the use of force was justified. As we await these facts and gain a clearer understanding, we urge the political voices to lower the temperature to ensure their constituents and law enforcement officers stay safe.”
Gun Owners of America on X: “We are saddened by the loss of life in Minneapolis, Minnesota earlier today during a federal law-enforcement operation. Because details remain limited and facts are still emerging, it is essential that the Justice Department conduct a complete, transparent, and prompt investigation so the public can fully understand what occurred and maintain confidence in the rule of law.
“Furthermore, we condemn the untoward comments of Bill Essayli. Federal agents are not ‘highly likely’ to be ‘legally justified’ in ‘shooting’ concealed carry licensees who approach while lawfully carrying a firearm. The Second Amendment protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting—a right the federal government must not infringe upon.
“Finally, the Left must stop antagonizing ICE and Border Patrol agents who are taking criminals off the streets and play a crucial role in protecting communities and upholding the rule of law.”
What Happens Next
Republican lawmakers—including Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski—have joined Democratic officials in calling for an independent, comprehensive investigation into the shooting, increasing bipartisan pressure for accountability.
