In the aftermath of Border Patrol agents fatally shooting Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, President Donald Trump and his administration seem to have undermined Second Amendment rights. Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security secretary, described Pretti as a "domestic terrorist" who was "brandishing" his legally held gun - a claim disputed by video footage. The FBI's Kash Patel falsely told Fox News that it's illegal to bring a gun to a protest. US Attorney Bill Essayli cautioned that approaching law enforcement with a firearm could lead to deadly consequences.
Trump doubled down on his earlier comments, saying Pretti "certainly shouldn't have been carrying a gun" and expressing discomfort over the two fully loaded magazines in his possession. The statement sparked backlash from gun rights groups, including the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and National Rifle Association (NRA). The latter stated that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they are legally allowed to be.
However, private militias and extremist forums reveal that many Second Amendment supporters are more willing to forgive Trump's remarks, laying blame on Pretti himself. Contrary to the administration's narrative, analysis of videos from the incident by news organizations like The New York Times and Bellingcat shows that Pretti was attempting to help a woman being pepper-sprayed when he was fatally shot.
Influential gun personalities such as Brandon Herrera and Cody Garrett have weighed in on the issue. Herrera stated that while Pretti's death was unfortunate, it also wasn't "baseless execution." He attributed the fatal outcome to Pretti's actions at the scene, including attempting to intervene in ICE operations. The narrative among some extremist groups highlights Pretti's alleged provocation as justification for his death.
Critics of ICE and Trump's administration have pointed out hypocrisy within the right-wing community, highlighting inconsistencies between defending Rittenhouse and attacking Pretti, who was merely trying to assist a woman at a protest.
Trump doubled down on his earlier comments, saying Pretti "certainly shouldn't have been carrying a gun" and expressing discomfort over the two fully loaded magazines in his possession. The statement sparked backlash from gun rights groups, including the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and National Rifle Association (NRA). The latter stated that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they are legally allowed to be.
However, private militias and extremist forums reveal that many Second Amendment supporters are more willing to forgive Trump's remarks, laying blame on Pretti himself. Contrary to the administration's narrative, analysis of videos from the incident by news organizations like The New York Times and Bellingcat shows that Pretti was attempting to help a woman being pepper-sprayed when he was fatally shot.
Influential gun personalities such as Brandon Herrera and Cody Garrett have weighed in on the issue. Herrera stated that while Pretti's death was unfortunate, it also wasn't "baseless execution." He attributed the fatal outcome to Pretti's actions at the scene, including attempting to intervene in ICE operations. The narrative among some extremist groups highlights Pretti's alleged provocation as justification for his death.
Critics of ICE and Trump's administration have pointed out hypocrisy within the right-wing community, highlighting inconsistencies between defending Rittenhouse and attacking Pretti, who was merely trying to assist a woman at a protest.
I'm not sure why people are still making excuses for Trump's comments about Alex Pretti. Like, come on, we've all seen the footage - it's clear he wasn't trying to provoke anyone! 
It's frustrating that some folks are more concerned with defending their own interests than speaking out against injustice. I mean, I get it, gun rights are important, but not at the expense of someone's life. 
The hypocrisy around this issue is giving me whiplash - like, remember when Kyle Rittenhouse was shot by protesters and everyone was all "he's a hero"? 
Now that Pretti did the same thing (trying to help someone), we're supposed to just sit back and take it? No thanks! 
. I got my little one telling me they want to carry their own gun to school events now and it's freaking me out 
. These politicians are making it seem like guns are only for the brave, but what about the scared or vulnerable? We need to think about the consequences of our actions and not just get caught up in the hype 
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. As a parent, I want my kid to know that everyone deserves respect and kindness, even if we don't see eye-to-eye 
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. We need to listen to people like Brandon Herrera who are calling out the hypocrisy and advocating for common sense 
. Let's focus on finding solutions that work for everyone, not just the gun lobby 
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. The thing is, if you're gonna start labeling someone as a "domestic terrorist" just because they've got a gun on them, that's a pretty slippery slope 
. I don't think it's about the fact that Pretti was carrying two fully loaded magazines; it's about the way he was treated and the context of what was happening at the protest 
I'm so done with how this whole situation is being handled. It feels like there's more to it than what we're seeing on the surface... and can we talk about the hypocrisy of some of these gun rights groups for a second? Like, they're all upset with Trump but not at all when it comes to Rittenhouse... it just doesn't add up 
. You know, people are saying this cop should've known better than to shoot an unarmed guy trying to help someone in need... but then again, some folks are really just drinking that Kool-Aid from Trump's camp and don't wanna question the narrative 
. Anyway, I'm kinda curious about what it would be like if we had cats that could drive cars 
. That'd be a whole new level of chaos!
. I mean, he saw someone being pepper-sprayed and tried to help - what's the worst that could happen? The fact that he got shot doesn't necessarily mean his actions were wrong, you know?