Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Trump Criticizes Alex Pretti For Having Gun Amid Fatal Border Patrol Confrontation

Trump Criticizes Alex Pretti For Having Gun Amid Fatal Border Patrol Confrontation (Screenshot/YouTube/CSPAN)

President Donald Trump criticized Alex Pretti Tuesday for carrying a firearm during a fatal confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Border Patrol agents fatally shot 37-year-old Pretti during a scuffle Saturday as agents carried out a targeted enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Following the incident, members of Trump’s administration were criticized for accusing Pretti of being a domestic terrorist. Asked whether he agreed with those assessments, Trump said he had not heard them and declined to go along with them.

“Well I haven’t heard that. But certainly he shouldn’t have been carrying a gun. And look, bottom line, everybody in this room, we view that as a very unfortunate incident, OK? Everyone, unless you’re a stupid person. Very, very unfortunate incident,” Trump said.

Trump condemned Pretti’s decision to carry a firearm during the confrontation.

“I don’t like that 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 a very unfortunate incident,” Trump added. (RELATED: Reporters Press Karoline Leavitt On Whether Tom Homan’s Visit To Minnesota Spells Trouble For Kristi Noem)

Demonstrations and violent unrest spread across Minnesota after the deaths of Pretti and Renee Good. Democratic leaders such as Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged federal immigration authorities to withdraw altogether.

Amid the fallout, Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino is expected to depart Minnesota. Trump deployed border czar Tom Homan to the state Monday to oversee ICE activity and work with investigators who are examining what officials call extensive fraud.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/YouTube/CSPAN)