Martha Stewart, the renowned lifestyle expert and business magnate, has declared that the time has arrived for her to leverage her substantial public platform for political purposes. This significant announcement comes in direct response to the tragic shooting death of a protester by a United States Border Patrol officer during a demonstration in Minneapolis last Saturday.
A Granddaughter's Urgent Plea
The 84-year-old television personality, who was born in Jersey City, shared a poignant text message from her 14-year-old granddaughter, Jude, with her nearly three million Instagram followers. The teenager's message served as a powerful catalyst for Stewart's new political stance. Jude implored her grandmother to take action following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at a Minnesota Veterans Affairs hospital.
'My granddaughter wrote this to me yesterday,' Stewart revealed in her social media post. 'She is 14 and sensitive to what is going on in our country as we all should be.' The text from Jude read, 'I'm not sure if it's excusable to not be speaking up right now.'
Stewart's Personal Political Statement
In additional text accompanying the post, Stewart provided context for her evolving political perspective. 'I am disheartened and sad each and every day that we cannot demonstrate our sympathy for the beleaguered, that we are told immigrants, which most of us are or descended from, are unwelcome,' the stalwart TV star expressed with palpable emotion.
She further articulated her distress 'that we cannot show our frustration in peaceful demonstrations and that we can be attacked and even killed by federal troops.' Stewart concluded her statement with a firm declaration: 'Things must have to change quickly and peacefully.'
Celebrity Support and Public Reaction
The comment section beneath Stewart's post quickly filled with supportive messages from fellow celebrities and the general public. Notable figures such as Bravo's Andy Cohen, content creator Sai De Silva, and designer Brian Atwood offered their endorsement of Stewart's sentiments. Cohen simply remarked 'Amen' in agreement with her call to meet the moment.
One Instagram user observed, 'Jude is 14 years old and gets it, but some adults cannot see it,' while another exclaimed, 'QUEEN MARTHA ILY!' A different commenter described Martha's granddaughter as 'a compassionate, strong child,' adding gratefully, 'Thank you for listening to her.'
Historical Political Context
Stewart's recent political awakening follows her endorsement of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election less than two years prior. When asked at a Retail Influencer CEO Forum in 2024 about her voting intentions, Stewart stated she was casting her ballot for Harris because the candidate 'doesn't hate democracy' and 'doesn't hate New York.'
This position continues Stewart's established pattern of political commentary. She told CNN in 2016 during Trump's first presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton: 'We just can't have a country run by someone who is totally unprepared for what comes.'
The Minneapolis Incident and Political Fallout
The shooting occurred during a protest at an immigration enforcement operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday. In the aftermath, federal and state officials offered conflicting accounts of responsibility for the incident.
Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino stated on Sunday that Pretti had placed himself in harm's way through his conduct. 'When someone makes the choice to come into an active law enforcement scene, interfere, obstruct, delay or assault law enforcement officer and - and they bring a weapon to do that - that is a choice that that individual made,' Bovino explained, according to the Associated Press.
Democratic Response and Calls for Action
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz presented a contrasting perspective at a news conference, posing the rhetorical question: 'Which side do you want to be on? The side of an all-powerful federal government that could kill, injure, menace and kidnap its citizens off the streets, or on the side of a nurse at the VA hospital who died bearing witness to such government.'
Walz joined several prominent Democrats who spoke out about the incident, including his former running mate, former Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris hailed Pretti via social media as a person who 'was dedicated to serving his community and our country.' She continued, 'As so many have now seen on video, his final act before he was killed by federal agents was doing everything in his power to protect his community.'
The 2024 Democratic presidential candidate expressed being 'enraged and heartbroken for Alex, his family, Minneapolis, and America.' Another former presidential candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders, called for 'all federal agents — ICE and Border Patrol' to be 'withdrawn immediately from Minneapolis and other cities.' New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani added his voice to the criticism, stating plainly, 'ICE terrorizes our cities. ICE puts us all in danger. Abolish ICE.'
The incident has sparked renewed debate about immigration enforcement practices, protest rights, and the appropriate use of force by federal agents in American cities. Stewart's entry into this political discourse marks a significant moment for the lifestyle icon, whose influence now extends firmly into the realm of social and political activism.
