Fox News host Tomi Lahren said she hopes President Trump will use the Insurrection Act to stop the growing unrest in Minneapolis. Lahren, who hosts The Big Weekend Show, talked about her mixed feelings on the situation that started after Border Patrol agents shot and killed a protester over the weekend.
According to Mediaite, Lahren said part of her wanted President Trump to “leave Minneapolis to its own devices” and let the city deal with what she called “illegals and fraudsters.” After the shooting on Saturday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey asked the Trump administration to remove federal immigration agents from the city. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz supported this request.
But Lahren quickly changed her view. She said the president needs to make sure the country has order and that order comes back fast. Lahren brought up the riots and protests that happened across the nation in May 2020 after George Floyd died. “This is not 2020 and we need to reset that precedent,” Lahren said, adding that she hoped President Trump “will consider the Insurrection Act” if things get worse.
The shooting has raised serious questions about what really happened
The unrest began after 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a local nurse, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents during a protest against ICE and Border Patrol. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that Pretti legally owned a gun.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem gave the official federal version of events at a press conference on Saturday evening. Secretary Noem said Pretti got involved in an operation to arrest a violent illegal immigrant. She also claimed that Pretti wanted to “kill law enforcement” with his 9mm handgun, which forced Border Patrol agents to shoot him in self-defense.
Many people doubted this story right away. Critics said Noem’s version didn’t match the video footage of the shooting. One media personality posted the video online and asked if her description matched what people were seeing. Fox News has faced other controversies recently that have raised questions about the network’s decisions.
The Insurrection Act lets the president send military troops to American cities to stop rebellions. President Trump said just last week that he didn’t think using the Insurrection Act was needed, especially for earlier anti-ICE protests that happened after Renee Good was shot and killed earlier this month.
The last president to use the act was George H.W. Bush in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots. Trump’s recent pardon decisions have also sparked debate about his use of presidential powers. Reporter Steve Harrigan, who was on the ground in Minneapolis, gave an update to Lahren and her co-hosts.
Harrigan had reported earlier that the tear gas federal agents were using seemed “completely ineffective” and only added “more turmoil” to the scene. He said there was still a lot of “hatred” among the protesters, who stayed out in the freezing cold late on Saturday night.
Published: Jan 25, 2026 01:45 pm