First Lady Melania Trump has made the rare decision to speak out on current events in the wake of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE and Border Patrol agents over the weekend.
Pretti was pepper‑sprayed, restrained, and then shot dead in Minnesota on Saturday, January 7, less than a month after the death of Renee Good in similarly shocking circumstances.
Melania Trump has generally avoided weighing in on matters of state, but the FLOTUS appeared on Fox & Friends this week to issue a call for unity in the U.S.
“We need to unify. I’m calling for unity. I know my husband, the president, had a great call yesterday with the governor and the mayor, and they’re working together to make it peaceful and without riots,” she said.
She concluded with: “I’m against violence, so if you protest, protest in peace.”
What the near future holds for Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota remains uncertain, but Trump revealed yesterday that he is sending in his so‑called “border tsar” Tom Homan. Homan will oversee the operation — nicknamed Operation Metro Surge — and report directly to Trump.
The family of Alex Pretti, meanwhile, pushed back angrily against what they described as lies being spread by the Trump administration about their son.
In a heartbroken statement, they said: “Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman.
“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs.
“He has his phone in his right hand, and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper‑sprayed.”
What do you make of Melania Trump’s call for unity? Can it be achieved in the current political climate? Share your thoughts in the comments.
The backlash following Pretti’s death has been fierce and widespread, with multiple video angles appearing to contradict the Department of Homeland Security’s initial claim that Pretti posed a credible threat to ICE agents. While Pretti did have a firearm — reportedly one he was permitted to carry — the gun remained holstered at all times until an officer removed it. It was after the 37‑year‑old had been disarmed that he was shot dead.
Nevertheless, figures such as White House advisor Stephen Miller and former CBP commander Gregory Bovino labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” as they did with Renee Good after her tragic shooting.
The uproar ultimately led the White House to appear to backtrack on its initial stance that the ICU nurse’s death was essentially his own fault.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Pretti’s death a “tragedy,” while President Donald Trump said yesterday that his administration would be reviewing the shooting.
