President Donald Trump sidestepped a question from ABC News’ Rachel Scott about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Instead, he launched a verbal attack on the senior political correspondent before his supporters at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa.
“By the way, this is ABC fake news, this one. She hasn’t asked me a good question in years. I think a nice woman, but I don’t really like her too much,” the President remarked on January 27. In December, he had labeled Scott as “the most obnoxious reporter in the whole place” and criticized her reporting skills.
Trump described Pretti’s shooting as an unfortunate event but condemned Pretti for being armed during the encounter with federal agents. He was carrying a pistol in a waist holster. However, several videos analyzed by CBS News, ABC News, and other media outlets reveal that Pretti had only a cellphone in his hands when approached by the agents.
The video footage shows an officer removing Pretti’s gun from his waistband just before the first shot was fired. At no point in these videos does Pretti appear to reach for or display the weapon. Minnesota officials confirmed that Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.
Trump’s criticism of an armed citizen drew criticism from gun-rights organizations. The National Rifle Association condemned statements made by officials post-shooting, and Gun Owners of America also reacted. Both groups typically defend the rights of law-abiding citizens to carry firearms.
The shooting happened during Operation Metro Surge, which led to the deployment of thousands of federal agents in Minneapolis. This operation sparked serious controversy and legal challenges from state and local officials opposing federal presence in their city.
The U.S. Department of Justice initiated a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s shooting on Friday. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the investigation, stating they are “looking at everything that would shed light on what happened that day.” The FBI, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, will spearhead the probe.
Minneapolis is currently suing the administration over ICE operations in the city. A federal judge instructed the government to submit a brief by Wednesday explaining the motives behind the enforcement effort. Both Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz have demanded that federal immigration authorities vacate their state.
Walz spoke with Trump on Monday, requesting impartial investigations into the shootings involving federal agents. Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, met with both Walz and Frey on Tuesday. In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Trump mentioned that the operations will be more relaxed in the future.
The President also claimed that crime rates in Minnesota have dipped as a result of these federal operations. In an exclusive interview, the tension between Trump and ABC’s Rachel Scott rose when the President speculated without evidence that Representative Ilhan Omar staged an attack against her at a town hall in Minneapolis. During the event, a man squirted apple cider vinegar at Omar at the podium.
The Minneapolis incidents have created a tense environment as federal immigration enforcement clashes with local resistance. The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an ICE agent on January 7 had already triggered protests even before Pretti’s death heightened tensions. ICE officials insist their agent acted in self-defense, alleging Good used her vehicle as a weapon, but local officials like Mayor Frey have rejected this claim.
The Trump administration’s federal immigration enforcement operations have become a contentious issue with Democratic-led cities nationwide. The President has portrayed urban areas as being overrun by what he describes as a “migrant crime epidemic,” a characterization and the need for federal intervention disputed by local officials.
Trump’s confrontational manner with reporters, especially female journalists and journalists of color, has been a consistent theme throughout his political career. Scott, among other reporters who have questioned him on difficult subjects, has faced public criticism from the President.
Legal and political battles over federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis are set to persist as the lawsuit progresses. The federal judge’s order for a government brief by Wednesday is one among several legal challenges to the administration’s immigration policies. Trump implied that while operations in Minneapolis may eventually wind down, federal agents will maintain enforcement efforts in other cities where local officials resist their presence.
