Trump allies and MAGA supporters defending Border Patrol agents after the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti are over the moon following the release of a clip recorded days before he was gunned down.
On Saturday, January 24, 2026, Pretti was shot dead by Border Patrol agents after an alleged confrontation in Minneapolis. Authorities claimed that the 37-year-old approached officers with a 9mm handgun, but videos from the scene showed he was seemingly holding a mobile phone in his hand instead.
The incident sparked widespread protest, especially because it occurred on the heels of the death of Renée Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen who was shot dead by an ICE agent on January 7.
BREAKING: Federal border agents appear to have killed a registered nurse in Minneapolis.
Alex Pretti dedicated his life to caring for others. Today, he is dead after being shot by agents after he was disarmed, despite having legally exercised his right to carry.
Watch the… pic.twitter.com/jqcItJvDp9
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) January 24, 2026
Similar to its response in Good’s case, the Trump administration attempted to justify the actions of the Border Patrol agent who shot Pretti, claiming he acted in self-defense. Amid ongoing debate surrounding the justification of the shooting, brand new footage showing Pretti having a heated exchange with agents nearly 11 days before his death surfaced online.
The clip, recorded by The News Movement on January 13, allegedly shows a man, believed to be Pretti, spitting at the window of a Ford Expedition SUV carrying federal officers conducting raids to arrest undocumented migrants.
The man could then be heard yelling “f—— trash” while addressing the officers. Once the SUV began pulling away, the man could be seen kicking and shattering the taillight of the car, prompting the officers to stop the vehicle.
The agents are then seen getting out of the car, grabbing the man and holding him down after pushing him to the ground. Meanwhile, other officers were seen firing pepper sprays and tear gas towards onlookers. The agents could eventually be seen retreating from the scene and returning to their vehicle.
After the tense exchange, the man, who appeared to have a gun in his waistband similar to the day of the shooting, could be seen picking up his belongings and walking away from the scene.
MUST WATCH: Footage of an a man who looks like Alex Pretti with a gun in his waistband, spitting on and attacking federal law enforcement officers and kicking the tail light of their vehicle on January 13.
Bombshell report from the BBC.
Important context: Pretti was not a… pic.twitter.com/snzEO8rU8w
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 28, 2026
According to an analysis by BBC Verify, facial recognition technology suggested that the man in the video showed a 97% match with Pretti. Meanwhile, statement provided by Pretti’s family to The Minnesota Star Tribune also aligned with the incident.
“A week before Alex was gunned down in the street — despite posing no threat to anyone — he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents,” Steve Schleicher, an attorney for the Pretti family, told the outlet in a statement.
Authorities previously claimed that Pretti suffered from a broken rib after having altercation with federal agents much before his tragic death. However, it is not known whether the injury stemmed from the moment seen in the video.
Reports suggest that Pretti seemingly did not face any legal charges for causing damage to federal property after the incident. As the video circulated on social media, Trump and his allies quickly referenced it to call out the deceased ICU nurse.
Donald Trump took to Truth Social to repost a sarcastic comment that took aim at Pretti. The post featured the footage with a caption that read, “Such a peaceful protestor.”
Political commentator and former Fox News host Megyn Kelly called out Pretti for “stalking, harassing and terrorizing” agents. She went on to claim that Pretti’s recklessness cost him his life, adding, “Find another poster boy, illegal-loving Leftists.”
Trump ally and former New York Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, wrote, “Very peaceful, non-aggressive man? Media will not tell you that everything seems to indicate that Pretti and his female activist accomplice seemed to be executing a classic “rearrest” they were trained to do, when he got himself shot?”
Conservative commentator Nick Sortor said Pretti was “not a peaceful protestor” and claimed, “he was a violent leftist mutant.” Youtuber and ex-Buzzfeed employee Benny Johnson echoed similar sentiments.
“This video PROVES that Alex Pretti was not an ‘innocent bystander’ or ‘legal observer’. He was a violent agitator and psychopath hellbent on attacking federal law enforcement,” he wrote. Far-right podcaster Tim Pool asked, “Could he have been known to the agents as they attempted to arrest him? Known violent extremist, armed, violent, actively resisting?”
Alex Pretti was itching for another confrontation with Border Patrol, whom he’d been stalking, harassing and terrorizing. HE had been victimizing THEM. His felonies are on tape. He was reckless, and it cost him his life. Find another poster boy, illegal-loving Leftists. https://t.co/9phA05Ppuw
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 28, 2026
Outkick founder Clay Travis claimed Pretti has been “obstructing ICE for weeks.” He wrote, “Guy should have been charged with many crimes, he was looking for confrontation for weeks.” Meanwhile, Fox News host Jesse Watters claimed footage showed Pretti was “assaulting a vehicle.”
Amid the accusations, Pretti’s lawyer argued, “Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24.” As per The Daily Mail, the Department of Homeland Security is reviewing the new video while investigation the fatal shooting.
Meanwhile, MS Now reported that Border Patrol agents involved in the shooting death of Alex Pretti were placed on paid administrative leave for three days following the incident, after which they will return to desk duty.
