Alex Pretti’s death is causing unexpected conflict: White House vs. gun lobby

The Trump administration has justified the death of Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE because he was armed. However, Pretti had a license to carry a gun and was not brandishing it at the police, so the White House’s response is outraging Second Amendment enthusiasts.

Another US citizen has been killed by immigration agents in Minnesota, increasing tensions between the state and federal governments. The actions of the federal agencies involved drew harsh criticism not only from former Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, but also from powerful pro-gun lobby of the United States, the National Rifle Association (NRA).

If you think it’s strange that the people mentioned in the previous sentence seem to be on the same side of this issue, you’re right. But these these are not normal times us United States.

Video footage recorded at the scene allegedly shows agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – who work in conjunction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota to detain people suspected of being illegal immigrants – approaching the nurse Alex Pretti37 years old.

The images allegedly show that they knocked him to the ground, beat him and apparently removed a pistol from the holster he was wearing, before we will shoot 10 shots against him.

Since his death, much attention has focused on his weapon. Carrying a firearm, whether openly or in a holster, is legal in Minnesota, and Pretti had a license for his gun. Therefore, he was perfectly within his rights to carry it. And nothing in the images suggests that he tried to take it out or use it while being approached by ICE agents.

Of course, in the United States, the right to keep and bear arms – the Second Amendment – ​​is very important to many people, especially conservatives. So when several Trump administration figures suggested that CBP agents were justified in shooting Pretti because he was armed in a holster, they provoked outrage among pro-gun activists. And, significantly, many of these people generally agree with the White House on virtually everything.

First, there was FBI Director Kash Patel, who told Fox News, “You can’t bring a loaded firearm with multiple magazines to any type of protest you want.” “Completely wrong“, responded the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and the group Gun Owners of America – “you have the legal right to bring a gun to a protest.”

Then a Trump-appointed district attorney chimed in, arguing: “If you approach the police with a gun, there is a high probability that they are legally justified to shoot himself.”

This drew a rebuke from the NRA, one of the most prolific and important right-wing groups in America and a major donor to Trump’s campaigns, which responded: “This sentiment… It’s dangerous and wrong. Responsible public voices should be waiting for a thorough investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.”

The problem with the Trump administration is that, based on the numerous video evidence, Pretti he was not handling his weapon irresponsibly. I wasn’t brandishing it, I wasn’t threatening anyone, in fact, I wasn’t even touching it. He did not approach the federal agents – they apparently surrounded him. And he was disarmed and had his gun removed from his holster by one of them before he was killed.

Second Amendment vs tyrannical government

The reason this touches such a raw nerve, even for many people who generally support Trump’s agenda, is that it strikes at the heart of what the Second Amendment stands for. In the eyes of the right, the entire legitimacy of the change is based on the idea that it allows the population to arm themselves to protect against a tyrannical government.

This means Pretti was doing exactly what Second Amendment advocates say they need guns for. And while some gun rights advocates may have remained silent as federal agents violated the rights of immigrants and dark-skinned citizens, Pretti’s murder is too much.

This is not to say that the gun lobby is turning against the Trump administration – at least not yet. But it is notable that outrages by ICE (and its related Customs and Border Protection Agency) are become so hard to ignore which are increasingly attracting opposition not only from the left, but also from traditionally right-wing groups.

The NRA is not about to switch sides and start raising funds for the next Democratic Party presidential candidate. But his willingness to denounce the regime is, to say the least, unusual. And that increases pressure on Trump to change course and undermine the credibility of key figures in the regime among conservatives.

This entire sequence of events also reveals something more worrying: the fact that more and more people in the United States, both on the left and on the right, are carrying weapons. The idea of arm for self-defense has been quietly gaining ground in left-wing circles for about a decade.

Shooting clubs emerged to serve LGBTQ+ people, people of color, white liberals – anyone who fears being targeted for violence by Trumpist federal authorities or right-wing militias. Nearly a third of those who identify as liberal now live in homes with guns.

And while it’s hard to disagree with their fears, this is another reason why American politics, marked by extreme tensions, are so scary. What happens when things fall apart in a country where hate and fear have driven so many people to take up arms?

Let us hope that Alex Pretti’s death serves as a reminder of the importance of stepping back before reaching the abyss, rather than pushing the country even closer to it.