Trump Calls Alex Pretti 'Insurrectionist' After Jan. 13 Video
Trump posted on Truth Social on Jan. 30 after a BBC-verified Jan. 13 video showed 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti confronting federal agents.
Overview
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Jan. 30 calling 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti an "agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist" after a Jan. 13 bystander video surfaced, Trump wrote.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a Jan. 30 press conference that the Justice Department has opened a federal civil-rights investigation into the Jan. 24 killing of Alex Pretti and is "looking at everything," officials confirmed.
Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility concluded after reviewing body-worn camera footage and agency records that two Border Patrol agents shot Alex Pretti after another agent yelled "He's got a gun," and both shooters are on administrative leave, records show.
At least 29 Republican members of Congress have demanded a full investigation into the Minneapolis killings, according to public letters and statements from lawmakers.
Justice Department officials said investigators are reviewing forensic evidence, including a BBC-reported 97% facial-recognition match to Alex Pretti that a family spokesperson confirmed, and said the probe could produce prosecutorial or administrative actions.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a cautionary tale about rushed, inflammatory official rhetoric. Editorial choices foreground video evidence, the Justice Department probe, and officials’ later backtracking while highlighting charged labels used by administration sources (e.g., "domestic terrorist", "assassin") as source content. They prioritize investigation and public-safety context over unverified claims.
Sources (38)
FAQ
A BBC-verified bystander video from Jan. 13 showed 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti confronting federal agents, which President Trump later referenced on Truth Social on Jan. 30, calling him an 'agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist'.[1]
On Jan. 24, during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Alex Pretti was shot by two Border Patrol agents after an agent yelled 'He's got a gun'; bystander videos showed agents spraying and pinning him before the shooting, and a handgun was later removed from his waistband; he was a legal gun owner with no criminal record.[1][2]
The Justice Department opened a federal civil-rights investigation, reviewing forensic evidence including a 97% facial-recognition match; CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility reviewed body-cam footage and placed the two shooters on administrative leave; Homeland Security Investigations and DHS Office of Inspector General are also involved.[story][4]
Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, a union member with no criminal record and a valid gun permit; rumors of his termination for inappropriate behavior lack credible evidence.[1]
Trump called Pretti an insurrectionist; 29 Republican Congress members demanded investigation; Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Mayor Jacob Frey, and nursing groups like ANA and AFGE called for transparency and condemned the incident.[story]
History
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