President Trump did not say whether the federal officer who shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend acted correctly. He confirmed the administration is looking into the incident. During a Sunday phone interview, he was asked about this several times but did not give a clear answer. Instead, he said, “We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination.”
However, Trump hinted at a big change coming to the city’s federal presence. He said his administration may pull immigration enforcement officers, including Border Patrol agents, from Minneapolis. This is a major shift, especially since tension between federal agents and local residents has been growing.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump confirmed that a different group would stay to focus on “financial fraud.” The administration has said Minnesota has a large welfare-fraud problem, which was the main reason for sending immigration officers there. Trump said, “It’s the biggest fraud anyone has seen.”
The administration faces growing pressure over recent federal shootings
The fatal shooting happened Saturday morning when a federal Border Patrol agent shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive-care nurse who was filming agents on a Minneapolis street. He died at the scene. The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti “violently resisted” disarmament until officers fired “defensive shots.”
However, video footage reviewed by reporters seems to show something different. The video appears to show a federal officer pulling a handgun away from Pretti, and less than a second later, an agent fires several shots.
Trump strongly criticized Pretti for carrying a weapon during protest activity. “I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it,” the president said. He added, “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.” Trump said Pretti was carrying a “very dangerous gun, a dangerous and unpredictable gun,” adding, “It’s a gun that goes off when people don’t know it.” The Department of Homeland Security later confirmed Pretti was carrying a 9mm semiautomatic handgun.
This incident has increased the urgency of talks within the administration about aggressive deportation policies. This is not the first incident. An ICE officer shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this month, which Trump defended at the time, calling it a tragedy.
The president has faced similar controversies recently, including his freeze on billions in family aid that sparked legal battles across multiple states. Administration officials have noticed that public opinion seems to be turning against the administration’s immigration operations in major cities.
While some in the administration worry that pulling out might look like giving in to the left, advisor Stephen Miller is still pushing for aggressive immigration enforcement. On the other side, some allies suggest pulling back. Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.), a Trump ally who chairs the House Oversight Committee, suggested the president should consider leaving the city.
He said the president should think, “OK, if the mayor and the governor are going to put our ICE officials in harm’s way, and there’s a chance of losing more innocent lives, then maybe go to another city and let the people of Minneapolis decide.”
Meanwhile, Trump continues making bold moves internationally, as his threats to take Greenland have prompted urgent diplomatic responses. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Nobody, including President Trump, wants to see people get shot or hurt.” She urged local officials to work more closely with the administration.
Published: Jan 26, 2026 02:45 pm