Trump Calls Alex Pretti 'Insurrectionist' After New Video
Trump accused Alex Pretti of being an 'insurrectionist' after a Jan. 13 video surfaced showing him confronting federal agents.
Overview
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social at 1:26 a.m. on Jan. 30, 2026, that "Agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist, Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down," according to the post.
Video dated Jan. 13 shows Alex Pretti spitting at agents and kicking a federal vehicle taillight, the family confirmed, while the Department of Homeland Security told reporters it had "no record" of that incident.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a Jan. 30 press conference that the Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation into Alex Pretti’s Jan. 24 killing, officials confirmed.
Alex Pretti, 37, was shot by Border Patrol agents on Jan. 24, 2026, and was the second U.S. citizen killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this month, family and federal accounts show.
Steve Schleicher, the Pretti family lawyer, said the family seeks "a fair and impartial investigation," and investigators are "looking at everything," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said, as the probe continues.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as an escalation of presidential rhetoric against a contested death, foregrounding video evidence and federal investigation while juxtaposing Trump's characterization with family and DOJ statements. Editorial choices—repeating 'fatally shot,' citing the Justice Department probe, and noting administration's initial blaming then retreat—tilt coverage toward scrutiny of officials' responses.
Sources (8)
FAQ
The video shows Alex Pretti shouting at federal agents, spitting toward them, kicking out a federal vehicle's taillight, and being tackled to the ground by agents before breaking free; a gun was visible on his waistband.
Alex Pretti was shot multiple times by Border Patrol agents near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis while observing and recording agents during a protest; DHS claims he approached with a handgun, but witnesses and video analysis dispute he brandished a gun.
The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation; DHS is reviewing the January 13 video, and the two agents involved are on paid administrative leave.
On January 30, 2026, Trump posted on Truth Social calling Alex Pretti an 'agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist' whose 'stock has gone way down' after the new video surfaced.
The family confirmed Pretti was in the January 13 video, stated he was injured but did not seek medical attention, and their attorney demands a fair investigation, arguing the prior incident does not justify the killing.
History
3 sources