Donald Trump responded to the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti at the hands of an ICE agent in Minneapolis by taking shots at protestors. The shooting unfolded just a few weeks after another US citizen, Renee Nicole Good, met a similar fate in the city.
Pretti, 37, joined protestors as they took to the streets on Saturday, January 24, 2026, to stand against the Trump administration’s harsh immigration crackdown efforts in Minneapolis.
However, he was shot dead following a nearly 30-second scuffle with Border Patrol agents. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin was quick to defend the officer involved in the shooting. She claimed that the agent had to fire “defensive shots” after Pretti “violently resisted” the official’s efforts to disarm him.
New leaked evidence proves that Alex Jeffrey Pretti didn’t have a gun but only a mobile phone to record ICE actions pic.twitter.com/DhaC0MesWX
— Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) January 24, 2026
While Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that Pretti was a “lawful gun owner with a permit to carry,” videos from the scene showed that he was holding a mobile phone in his hand with no visible signs of carrying any weapon.
As the incident sparked fresh protests across Minnesota and hundreds of demonstrators hit the streets demanding ICE to leave the state, Trump took to Truth Social to call out protestors at around 2 AM on Sunday, January 25.
“Jonathan Fahey, former ICE Director, is fantastic on FoxNews in explaining the motives behind the fraudsters and insurrectionists in Minnesota. Great job Jonathon!!! President DJT,” he wrote.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 01:53 AM EST 01.25.26
Jonathan Fahey, former ICE Director, is fantastic on FoxNews in explaining the motives behind the fraudsters and insurrectionists in Minnesota. Great job Jonathon!!! President DJT
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 25, 2026
Earlier, the President also slammed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey. He shared images of an alleged gun recovered by ICE agents, writing, “What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?”
The POTUS then accused Walz and Frey of “inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric.” Following the shooting, Governor Walz called Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota a “campaign of organized brutality.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Frey asked, “I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death. How many more residents, how many more Americans, need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?”
Alex Pretti’s family also released a statement condemning the “sickening lies” being told about their son. “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” the family said.
“Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed,” they explained.
“Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man,” the family concluded. However, the Trump administration has continued to defend the actions of ICE agents and shift blame onto the victims, framing their conduct as justifiable, a narrative that also emerged after the shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis.
