U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said 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, remarks that have put him at odds with gun rights groups and some members of his own party.
Speaking to reporters at a restaurant in Iowa, Trump was asked whether he agreed with administration officials who had described Pretti as a domestic terrorist. The president said he was not aware of such a designation but criticised Pretti’s possession of a firearm.
“I haven’t heard that, but certainly shouldn’t have been carrying a gun,” Trump said.
He 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 incident sparked widespread criticism and led to a White House-ordered shakeup of leadership following the shooting.
Gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Gun Owners of America, said Pretti was legally carrying a concealed firearm. Bystander video of the incident, which circulated widely on social media, appeared to show that Pretti never touched his gun before he was shot, contradicting initial claims by some Trump administration officials that he posed a threat to law enforcement.
“You absolutely can walk around with a gun, and you absolutely can peacefully protest while armed,” said Luis Valdes, a spokesman for Gun Owners of America. “It’s an American historical tradition that dates all the way back to the Boston Tea Party.”
Valdes said the group was unhappy with the president’s comments.
“We are not happy,” he said.
The National Rifle Association also responded on Tuesday evening following Trump’s remarks in Iowa.
“The NRA unequivocally believes that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they have a legal right to be,” the organisation said in a statement posted on X.
Gun rights advocates are among the Republican Party’s most loyal voting blocs, and Trump’s comments have highlighted growing tension within the party ahead of the November midterm elections.
Trump made the remarks while greeting supporters ahead of a scheduled speech on the economy. He also disclosed that his border czar, Tom Homan, had met with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and was expected to meet with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey later on Tuesday.
