Are we great yet? Alex Pretti was shot ten times by ICE agents. Videos show Pretti holding a phone while helping protesters, contradicting claims he approached agents with a drawn gun or intended mass violence. Almost immediately, Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino claimed in a hastily arranged news conference that Pretti aimed to “massacre law enforcement.”
Other senior Administration officials made public claims that are easily refuted by video evidence and witnesses:
- President Donald Trump: Posted on Truth Social calling Pretti a “gunman” and blaming local officials, ignoring bystander footage.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem: Called Pretti a “domestic terrorist” who “perpetuated violence” with a weapon at a press conference, despite no evidence of brandishing.
- Stephen Miller (White House Deputy Chief of Staff): Labeled Pretti a “would-be assassin” and “domestic terrorist” on social media.
- Vice President JD Vance: Blamed local officials and shared Miller’s post calling Pretti an “assassin.”
Alex Pretti was legally carrying a firearm. Minnesota authorities have confirmed that. There is no video showing him brandishing it, reaching for it, or threatening anyone with it. Authorities didn’t even know he had the firearm on him before they brutally attacked him after he came to the aid of a defenseless woman being pepper sprayed by ICE agents. Video shows him holding a phone and trying to help this woman who had been shoved to the ground by federal agents.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was confronted with the facts on air. His response was to say, “I am sorry that this gentleman is dead, but he did bring a nine-millimeter semi-automatic weapon with two cartridges to what was supposed to be a peaceful protest.” He called anyone who opposes the regime paid agitators and blamed state leaders, while ignoring the reality that lawful concealed carry exists precisely to protect individuals, not to serve as a pretext for execution, and that Trump and the many untrained ICE agents are the ones causing the chaos.
Kash Patel followed with an even more explicit rejection of constitutional rights. He declared, “You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple.” He claimed the administration protects First Amendment speech while simultaneously redefining peaceful protest to exclude anyone who records law enforcement or stands too close. So much for conservative “constitutionalism” –– ICE has already been violating the Fourth Amendment every day, and now we say farewell to the First Amendment and the Second Amendment as well. Obedience to King Donald is all that counts.
Kristi Noem went further, misstating Minnesota law and implying that concealed carry permit holders should leave their firearms behind if they intend to protest. When pressed with the fact that Pretti was legally permitted to carry, she defaulted to the script about impeding law enforcement operations and consequences.
Republican Rep. Steve Scalise attempted to thread the needle by claiming support for concealed carry while arguing that no one may carry a firearm while committing another crime. But again, Pretti did not commit any crimes. Filming law enforcement and standing near a protest are not felonies. They are protected activities.
The pattern here matters. Every one of these officials was asked a simple question: does a lawful gun owner retain their Second Amendment rights while protesting? None of them answered yes. Instead, they shifted definitions, invented crimes, and asked Americans to accept a fake version of events that is contradicted by video.
That tactic has become the backbone of this regime. We saw it again when Border Patrol leader Bovino was pressed about claims that Pretti intended to “massacre law enforcement.” Asked directly what evidence supported that accusation, the response was praise for law enforcement for preventing something that the videos do not show was ever going to happen. “The victims are the Border Patrol agents,” Bovino said.
The implication is clear. Recording police is now violence according to the Trump regime. Opposing the regime is now justification for deadly force.
This effort to rewrite reality does not stop with Minneapolis. It extends to immigration detention facilities across the country. While right wing media remains silent, massive protests are underway in Texas over the detention of a five-year-old boy used as bait to lure out his asylum seeking father. A two-year-old girl was also detained despite a court order protecting her.
One final note speaks volumes. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said nothing about the killing of Alex Pretti. No statement. No condemnation. No call for investigation. Silence is also a choice, and it is one that tells you exactly where he stands. The “silent minority” who are still believing that Trump is making us “great again” should take in what Robert Arnold had to say this morning; this is a bridge too far.
If you really believe you are a patriotic citizen, watch, and understand –– it just takes ten minutes, it is entirely legal, and it is politically “right” (correct, that is to say) regardless of the alt-right Ministry of Propaganda now based at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. For years, many on the right complained of tyranny and supported the right to bear arms as a safeguard against government tyranny; where do they stand now?