World

Trump says nurse shot by ICE shouldn't have carried gun

Jan 28, 2026

Immigration Enforcement Minnesota — Alex Pretti's death at the hands of ICE has prompted anger across the United States. -AP

US President Donald Trump says Alex Pretti, the man fatally shot ‍by a federal agent during a confrontation in Minneapolis, should not have been carrying a gun or fully loaded magazines, comments that put him at odds with gun rights groups and some Republicans.

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Asked ⁠on Tuesday whether he agreed with administration officials who described Pretti as a domestic terrorist, Trump said: "I haven't heard that, but certainly shouldn't have been carrying a gun."

Trump, speaking to reporters at an Iowa restaurant, later added: "He had a gun. I don't like that. He had two fully loaded magazines. ‌That's a lot of bad stuff. And despite that, I'd say that's ... very unfortunate."

Pretti, a licensed ‍concealed-weapons holder, was killed on Saturday by federal agents during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The shooting drew broad criticism and prompted a White House-ordered leadership shake-up.

Gun rights groups, including the influential National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America, said Pretti was legally carrying a concealed gun.

Bystander video of Pretti's killing was widely shared, showing he never ‌touched his gun before being shot and contradicting some Trump officials' initial claims that he posed a threat to law enforcement.

Gun rights groups are one of the Republican Party's most loyal voting blocs. Such statements by Trump and other administration officials have opened a rift ahead of midterm elections in November.