Trump Administration Officials Make Disputed Claims About Fatal Border Patrol Shooting

Top officials in President Donald Trump’s administration have made a series of contested claims following Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, with many assertions contradicted by available video evidence.

Pretti, a registered nurse who worked in an intensive care unit at a Veterans Affairs facility, was killed during an immigration enforcement operation that had drawn protesters. His death has sparked controversy over both the circumstances of the shooting and the administration’s characterization of events.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem initially claimed Saturday that Pretti “attacked” officers, a characterization echoed by FBI Director Kash Patel. However, available video footage does not show Pretti committing any attack. Videos instead show him directing traffic, recording agents with his phone, and intervening when an agent pushed a woman to the ground.

During this interaction, Pretti appeared to make brief contact with an agent using his right arm and left hand. The agent then sprayed him with a chemical irritant and dragged him to the ground, where other officers joined the confrontation as Pretti appeared to resist. One agent was seen striking Pretti repeatedly while he was on the ground.

When pressed by CNN’s Dana Bash to identify what specific moment constituted an assault, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino declined to provide details. By Sunday, Noem had notably softened her language during a Fox News interview, referring to Pretti “laying hands on law enforcement” rather than attacking them.

Perhaps most significantly disputed is Noem’s Saturday claim that Pretti was “brandishing” a weapon. Available footage contradicts this assertion, as Pretti is never seen holding a gun in his hand. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated plainly: “I don’t have any evidence that I’ve seen that suggests that the weapon was brandished.”

Video appears to show a federal agent removing a gun from Pretti’s waistband area when he was already on the ground moments before the shooting. Administration officials noticeably avoided repeating the “brandishing” claim during Sunday interviews.

The administration’s rhetoric escalated Saturday with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller calling Pretti “an assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents” — a claim Vice President JD Vance reposted. Bovino and the Department of Homeland Security stated it “looks like” Pretti “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” Yet no evidence has been presented to support these characterizations of Pretti’s intentions.

Pretti’s parents released a statement calling the administration’s portrayals “sickening lies” that are “reprehensible and disgusting.” His father told the Associated Press that Pretti had been participating in protests against the administration’s immigration actions since another Minneapolis protester, Renee Good, was killed by an ICE agent earlier in January.

The administration has also made contested claims about the legality of Pretti carrying a firearm at the protest. Patel claimed, “You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want,” adding that “no one who wants to be peaceful shows up at a protest with a firearm that is loaded with two full magazines.”

However, Minneapolis Police Chief O’Hara contradicted this assertion, confirming that Pretti had a permit to carry a concealed firearm and was legally armed. “It appears that he was present, exercising his First Amendment rights to record law enforcement activity, and also exercising his Second Amendment rights to lawfully be armed in a public space in the city,” O’Hara stated.

The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus refuted Patel’s claim, stating: “This is completely incorrect on Minnesota law. There is no prohibition on a permit holder carrying a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines at a protest or rally in Minnesota.” Similarly, the national organization Gun Owners of America affirmed that “the Second Amendment protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting.”

As investigations continue, the conflicting narratives between video evidence and administration statements have intensified scrutiny of both the shooting and the government’s response. By Sunday, administration officials had notably toned down their rhetoric in media appearances, avoiding repetition of their most incendiary claims from the previous day.