In the aftermath of Alex Pretti's killing by Border Patrol agents, President Donald Trump and his administration have attempted to downplay Second Amendment rights. The Department of Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem, inaccurately referred to Pretti as a "domestic terrorist" who was "brandishing" his legally held gun, despite footage showing that Pretti did not draw his gun during the fatal interaction with federal agents.
The FBI director, Kash Patel, further eroded gun rights by claiming it is illegal to bring a gun to a protest. However, this stance ignores the fact that carrying a firearm in certain circumstances may be lawful under Minnesota state law.
Trump has doubled down on these comments, stating that Pretti "certainly shouldn't have been carrying a gun" and that he had "two fully loaded magazines." These remarks have sparked backlash from gun rights groups, including the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and Gun Owners of America. The National Rifle Association has avoided specifically mentioning Trump's comments, instead affirming the right to bear arms in any legal context.
However, within online communities of Second Amendment supporters who identify as "gun nuts," many are willing to shift blame from Trump's statements to Pretti himself. They claim that individuals carrying firearms at protests should be aware of their surroundings and avoid drawing attention to themselves.
Gun influencers such as Brandon Herrera and Cody Garrett have also weighed in on the controversy, arguing that Pretti was to blame for his own death. Herrera suggested that Pretti had been interfering with law enforcement operations and that it was not surprising he was killed during a confrontation.
Critics of ICE's actions in Minneapolis point out the hypocrisy of right-wing groups defending Rittenhouse, who has become central to the debate about the shooting, while attacking Pretti for carrying a firearm at a protest. Leftist firearms groups and content creators have also pointed out the inconsistency within the gun rights community.
The FBI director, Kash Patel, further eroded gun rights by claiming it is illegal to bring a gun to a protest. However, this stance ignores the fact that carrying a firearm in certain circumstances may be lawful under Minnesota state law.
Trump has doubled down on these comments, stating that Pretti "certainly shouldn't have been carrying a gun" and that he had "two fully loaded magazines." These remarks have sparked backlash from gun rights groups, including the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and Gun Owners of America. The National Rifle Association has avoided specifically mentioning Trump's comments, instead affirming the right to bear arms in any legal context.
However, within online communities of Second Amendment supporters who identify as "gun nuts," many are willing to shift blame from Trump's statements to Pretti himself. They claim that individuals carrying firearms at protests should be aware of their surroundings and avoid drawing attention to themselves.
Gun influencers such as Brandon Herrera and Cody Garrett have also weighed in on the controversy, arguing that Pretti was to blame for his own death. Herrera suggested that Pretti had been interfering with law enforcement operations and that it was not surprising he was killed during a confrontation.
Critics of ICE's actions in Minneapolis point out the hypocrisy of right-wing groups defending Rittenhouse, who has become central to the debate about the shooting, while attacking Pretti for carrying a firearm at a protest. Leftist firearms groups and content creators have also pointed out the inconsistency within the gun rights community.
I'm totally baffled by the gun nut community's response to this whole thing. Like, they're not owning up to how ridiculous Trump's comments are? 
The man is basically saying that Pretti was asking for it just by carrying a gun at a protest... it's like, what even is that logic? 
. It feels like some people are more concerned with defending their own right to bear arms than actually understanding the nuances of gun laws and common sense.
It's like, can't we all just get along? 
. I mean come on, we all know what happened here - Border Patrol agents were aggressive and killed him, but nobody wants to talk about that 
. Trump is just trying to deflect attention from his own administration's role in this whole mess, and it's not fair to blame Pretti for being a responsible gun owner 
. I mean, what if he wasn't carrying a gun at all? Would that have made any difference? 
And btw, I'm so done with these "gun nuts" who think Pretti was somehow responsible for his own death. Newsflash: if you're carrying a firearm in public, there's always going to be some risk involved 
. Let's focus on holding the real villains accountable here 
.