The Trump White House has triggered an extraordinary confrontation with its traditional gun rights allies following officials' attempts to justify the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis nurse by Border Patrol agents over the weekend. In a remarkable political reversal, administration figures have cited the victim's legal firearm possession as justification for the lethal force used against him.
Administration's Controversial Defence of Fatal Shooting
Border Patrol agents fired multiple shots into the back of 37-year-old Alex Pretti within five seconds of wrestling him to the ground during Saturday's immigration enforcement activities in Minneapolis. The Department of Veterans Affairs intensive care unit nurse held a valid concealed carry permit for his holstered pistol under Minnesota state law.
Multiple video recordings reviewed by The Independent clearly show an officer removing the holstered weapon from Pretti's person moments before the first shots were fired. Crucially, the footage confirms Pretti never reached for or attempted to brandish the firearm during the entire confrontation.
White House Officials Target Constitutional Rights
Within hours of the fatal incident, Trump administration officials launched an unprecedented attack on Pretti's constitutional rights. White House deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser Stephen Miller took to social media platform X to baselessly accuse the nurse of being a "would-be assassin" who "tried to murder federal law enforcement."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol official Greg Bovino both made false claims that Pretti had brandished his weapon or approached officers with intent to use it. President Donald Trump himself reinforced this narrative, telling the Wall Street Journal: "I don't like it when somebody goes into a protest and he's got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also."
Stark Reversal From Previous Gun Rights Stance
The administration's sudden condemnation of legally armed citizens represents a dramatic departure from positions held during Trump's first term. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the president spoke approvingly of protesters - many openly carrying rifles - who stormed Michigan's state legislature demanding an end to public health measures.
Trumpworld previously rallied behind Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois man acquitted of murder after shooting two people during Wisconsin racial justice protests following George Floyd's murder. At the time, Trump called Rittenhouse a "really nice young man" who shouldn't have faced prosecution, celebrating him as an exemplar of Second Amendment self-defence rights.
Conservative Gun Groups Voice Outrage
The administration's position has provoked furious responses from traditionally pro-Republican gun rights organisations. The National Rifle Association condemned comments by Central District of California federal prosecutor Bill Essayli, who wrote on X that "if you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you." The NRA called this statement "dangerous and wrong."
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus issued a strong statement emphasising that "every Minnesotan" maintains "the right to keep and bear arms - including while attending protests, acting as observers or exercising their First Amendment rights." The organisation stressed that "these rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed, and they must be respected and protected at all times."
Even the ultra-conservative Gun Owners of America - founded by activists who consider the NRA too moderate - demanded a "complete, transparent and prompt investigation" while rejecting the notion that agents were justified in shooting Pretti simply because he was armed. The group stated unequivocally: "Agents are not 'highly likely' to be 'legally justified' in 'shooting' concealed carry licensees who approach while lawfully carrying a firearm."
Republican Lawmakers Join Criticism
Kentucky Republican congressman Thomas Massie, an occasional Trump critic, weighed in forcefully after Essayli's controversial post. Massie declared: "Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it's a Constitutionally protected God-given right, and if you don't understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government."
This growing conservative backlash highlights the administration's delicate political position as it attempts to defend federal agents' actions while alienating core supporters who view Second Amendment rights as sacrosanct. The incident has exposed significant fractures within the Republican coalition regarding how constitutional gun rights apply during law enforcement encounters.
As investigations continue into Pretti's shooting, the administration faces mounting pressure from both political opponents and traditional allies to clarify its position on Americans' rights to legally carry firearms during public demonstrations and law enforcement observations.
