Former President Bill Clinton has come out swinging against the Trump administration, flatly accusing federal officials of lying to the American people regarding the controversial shootings carried out by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, as per The Hill. He fiercely condemned the situation, calling them “horrible scenes” that he never thought would take place in America.
Clinton directly stated, “The people in charge have lied to us, told us not to believe what we’ve seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics, including impeding investigations by local authorities.”
The former president detailed the shocking incidents occurring in the city. He explained that masked federal agents have seized people, sometimes including children, from their homes, workplaces, and the street. Furthermore, he noted that peaceful protesters and citizens trying to document law enforcement operations have been arrested, beaten, and teargassed.
Clinton emphasized that the problems have been made worse because, at every turn, the administration has tried to conceal the truth
Most tragically, Clinton brought up the two 37-year-old Minneapolis residents who were shot and killed this month by federal officers: Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The deaths of these citizens are the most searing examples of the violence he condemned.
The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has attempted to defend the actions of its agent in the shooting of Alex Pretti. DHS claims the agent fired “defensive shots” because Pretti had a gun, which federal authorities later recovered. Pretti was an intensive care nurse at a VA hospital and was licensed to carry a firearm.
However, many people are strongly disputing the government’s official version of events and are accusing the agent of acting with excessive force. Reports indicate that video footage shows Pretti holding his phone, not a gun, because he was attempting to record the law enforcement operation before the confrontation escalated and he was fatally shot. If the video evidence shows him holding a phone instead of a weapon, that completely undermines the claim of “defensive shots.”
Clinton made it clear that “All of this is unacceptable and should have been avoided.” He wrapped up his condemnation with a powerful appeal to the public to use this critical moment to reclaim American democracy. He urged citizens not to give up the fundamental freedoms that belong to them, emphasizing the severity of the current climate.
Clinton wrote, “Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them. If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back.”
He concluded with an urgent call to action for the American people. He believes that standing up and speaking out is essential to preserving the nation’s core values. Clinton stated, “It is up to all of us who believe in the promise of American democracy to stand up, speak out, and show that our nation still belongs to We the People.”
Published: Jan 26, 2026 11:30 am