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A man holds a portrait of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis, during a vigil at the Veterans Affairs NY Harbor Healthcare System Manhattan Campus in New York on January 29, 2026. — AFP
MINNEAPOLIS: President Donald Trump reversed his tone on Friday after outrage erupted over the death of two American citizens in Minneapolis at the hands of federal agents, describing one of them, Alex Pretti, as an “agitator.”
Videos circulating online reportedly show Pretti, an intensive care nurse, in a scuffle with federal agents 11 days before he was shot and killed by officers executing an immigration enforcement operation this Saturday.
The White House has been working to mitigate widespread anger over Pretti’s death, which followed the shooting of Renee Good, another U.S. citizen and mother of three, in the same city just a few weeks earlier.
Trump stated he wanted to “de-escalate a little” and appointed border chief Tom Homan as a new point person in Minneapolis. Homan announced on Thursday that some federal agents might be pulled back from the city after weeks of protests against immigration raids.
However, on his Truth Social platform Friday, Trump branded Pretti as an “agitator and, possibly, insurrectionist.”
He also criticized Pretti’s reputation, saying, “Alex Pretti’s reputation has taken a big hit after just-released footage shows him shouting and spitting in the face of a calm ICE officer.” The footage reportedly depicts Pretti kicking a federal agents’ vehicle tail light before officers come out and pin him to the ground.
AFP has not verified the footage independently.
Amid this controversy, congressional discussions are underway, with the Senate approaching a vote on a funding package to prevent a government shutdown over this crisis. Democrats are demanding that funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) be removed and renegotiated to impose stricter limits on immigration enforcement agencies.
During a Thursday cabinet meeting, Trump did not mention the unrest in Minnesota. When asked for remarks from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, he did not call on her. Instead, he dispatched Homan to Minneapolis to oversee immigration operations, with orders to report directly to him, effectively sidelining Noem.
Homan, speaking at his first press conference from Minneapolis, indicated that some improvements are necessary, contrasting with the previous DHS head, Greg Bovino, who was dismissed. Homan urged residents to avoid hate speech against federal immigration officers and mentioned that a plan is underway to reduce the number of agents involved in what’s called “Operation Metro Surge,” currently employing over 3,000 federal personnel.
A resident near a school where recent student arrests occurred, standing under posters of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, voiced skepticism, saying, “This administration has repeatedly lied to us and refuses to hold anyone accountable.” The two officers involved in Pretti’s shooting have been put on leave, and Homan assured that any misconduct would be addressed.
Trump has not eased his rhetoric, even suggesting that Somali-born Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar might have staged an attack earlier this week when a man sprayed her with a liquid while she was giving a speech. The suspect, Anthony Kazmierczak, faces federal and state assault charges for allegedly spraying a mixture resembling apple cider vinegar on Omar.
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