Why Trump's Team Calls a Shooting Victim a 'Terrorist

A 37-year-old ICU nurse tried to help a woman who'd been shoved to the ground by a federal agent. Minutes later, he was dead—shot multiple times by Border Patrol officers on an icy Minneapolis street. But according to the Trump administration, Alex Pretti was an "assassin" who died trying to "massacre law enforcement."

The gap between what happened and what officials claim happened reveals something troubling about how this administration handles inconvenient truths.

What the Video Shows

Footage obtained by Drop Site news tells a clear story. Pretti was filming Border Patrol agents on Saturday when he stepped in to help a woman one agent had knocked down. At least five agents tackled him during a scuffle on the icy road before shooting him multiple times.

Analysis by Bellingcat and U.S. media outlets shows Pretti's gun had already been confiscated by an agent before the fatal shots. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed Pretti was a "lawful gun owner" with a permit whose only criminal history consisted of traffic tickets.

The 'Terrorist' Narrative

Despite this evidence, the Department of Homeland Security claimed Pretti "approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun" and "violently resisted" when agents tried to disarm him.

Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino went further, claiming Pretti's gun showed he "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement." Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller labeled him an "assassin" without evidence, while DHS Secretary Kristi Noem insisted he'd "violently" resisted arrest.

Right-wing influencers amplified these claims. Nick Sorter, with 1.4 million followers, falsely called the U.S. citizen an "illegal alien." The "Libs of TikTok" account labeled him a "lunatic" and "assassin." Some shared AI-altered images purporting to show Pretti in women's clothing.

Pretti's parents called the administration's "sickening lies" about their son "reprehensible and disgusting."

A Familiar Pattern

This mirrors the case of Renee Good, another 37-year-old fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this month. Officials also branded Good a "terrorist" and claimed she tried to run over an officer, despite video evidence casting doubt on those claims.

The White House last week shared an AI-altered image of arrested activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, digitally manipulated to make her appear emotionally distressed.

Cracks in the Narrative

Some Republicans are pushing back. Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie posted on X that "carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it's a Constitutionally protected God-given right." The National Rifle Association rejected a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor's suggestion that approaching law enforcement with a gun could justify being shot.

Minnesota authorities also contested administration claims. When Vice President JD Vance said local authorities refused to assist federal counterparts, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety fired back that it was actually the DHS obstructing their access to the crime scene.

The Bigger Game

Why maintain a narrative so clearly contradicted by evidence? The administration's framing serves multiple purposes: it justifies aggressive enforcement tactics, delegitimizes protesters, and creates an us-versus-them dynamic that rallies the base.

By immediately labeling victims as "terrorists" or "assassins," officials shift the conversation from "Did agents use excessive force?" to "Why are dangerous criminals attacking law enforcement?" The strategy works even when later debunked—the initial framing often sticks.