Several gun rights groups have issued statements after President Donald Trump said protesters “can’t have guns” following ICE’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Gun rights groups have long defended the Second Amendment, which outlines the right to bear arms, as absolute, a stance that Trump and other Republicans have also championed. Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
Public criticism is mounting over federal immigration practices in Minneapolis, which escalated in recent days following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti. His killing comes just days after ICE officer Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, and another shooting in the city left Venezuelan migrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis injured during an attempted detention.
Pretti was legally carrying a firearm during the altercation.
The immigration efforts in Minneapolis and the use of fatal force have drawn bipartisan criticism, with some Republicans breaking with party ranks to criticize the efforts and some Trump administration officials have said that Pretti should not have been carrying a gun amid the protests.
What To Know
Trump has been accused of hypocrisy over his response to Pretti’s shooting, given that Pretti was a licensed gun owner whose weapon was holstered and was removed by federal officers before he was shot.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump distanced himself from White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s description of Pretti as a “would-be assassin,” rejecting the description and saying, “No, I don’t think so.”
The president went on to say that protesters should not have firearms, saying, “With that being said…you can’t have guns. You can’t walk in [to a protest] with guns. You just can’t,” Trump said, later reiterating the point when challenged on Second Amendment rights. “I don’t like that he had a gun. I don’t like that he had two fully-loaded magazines. That’s a lot of bad stuff,” he said.
The National Association for Gun Rights, which states it has more than 4.5 million members, shared the clip of Trump talking to reporters on Tuesday, writing in the caption, “The President is simply wrong. While we agree you can’t interfere with law enforcement, you absolutely have the right to carry the tools for self-defense while lawfully protesting.”
The post continued, “In fact, that’s precisely the kind of place where exercising that right matters most. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a misstatement by the President; it reflects a broader problem with the messaging of other highly ranked Administration officials.”
Another organization, Gun Owners of America, also shared the clip, writing, “Peaceful protests while armed isn’t radical—it’s American. The First and Second Amendments protect those rights, and they always have. GOA will hold any administration accountable.”
The National Rifle Association (NRA),which has backed Trump’s three White House campaigns, said in an X post Tuesday responding to the president’s comments, “The NRA unequivocally believes that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they have a legal right to be.”
Gun rights groups have been vocal on the issue of carrying a weapon following Pretti’s death.
The NRA, which says it has around 5 million members and is influential in politics, responded earlier this week to U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli in California, who wrote on X, “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.”
That take is “dangerous and wrong,” the NRA said, which grew unlikely support from Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom.
What People Are Saying
Governor Gavin Newsom, a California Democrat, said in statement: “I agree with the NRA on this. Nothing is sacred in Trump’s America; not the First Amendment, not the Second, not even life itself. We should all be outraged not only by the senseless deaths at the hands of federal officials, but also by the erosion of our rights. We must act fast to protect them and prevent any further tragic loss of life.”
FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures”: “No one who wants to be peaceful shows up at a protest with a firearm that is loaded with two full magazines. You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple. You don’t have that right to break the law.”
Democratic strategist Mike Nellis said in an X post: “Every gun rights activist in America better be screaming over Trump saying ‘you can’t have guns’ while defending the murder of Alex Pretti.”
Tennessee State Representative Jeremy Faison said on X: Showing up at a protest is very American. Showing up with a weapon is very American.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: ““The president supports the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding American citizens, absolutely.”
Andrew Weinstein, former public delegate of the United States to the General Assembly of the United Nations, said in an X post on January 25: “This killing of Alex Pretti reveals a dark truth about the administration’s view of gun rights: they are not universal. They are reserved for the ‘right’ kind of people. If you are a MAGA supporter, your gun is a symbol of freedom. If you are a protester in Minneapolis, your gun is proof of terrorism. The “right to bear arms” has been replaced by the ‘privilege to bear arms,’ contingent on political alignment. This is the hallmark of a militia state, not a constitutional republic.”
Richard Painter, former chief White House ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, said in an X post on January 25: “The Second Amendment means the government can’t take your gun away from you when you have a permit to carry. It also means they can’t shoot you dead after they take your gun away from you.”
What Happens Next
The investigation into Pretti’s death is ongoing.
The violence in Minneapolis and the political fallout involving the discussion around guns will likely play a large role in messaging and campaigning as the nation heads into midterms in 2026.
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