Featured Image Credit: Fox News
Topics: Immigration, Melania Trump, Donald Trump
William Morgan
The first lady has spoken for the first time about the fatal shooting of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, calling on the public for calm.
Melania Trump called for protesters on the street to exercise their rights peacefully, while touting her husband President Trump's positive conversation with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, which he described as 'a very good call' before recalling CBP commander Greg Bovino from the state.
Bovino was one of the administration officials that called Pretti a 'domestic terrorist' who had attacked officers in the hours after he was shot 10 times while protecting a fallen protester in Minneapolis. This description of events does not line up with video evidence of the shooting.
Speaking on Fox & Friends, FLOTUS took a conciliatory tone, saying: "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.
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She finished by saying: "I’m against violence, so if you protest, protest in peace."
Her comments on Tuesday morning came as outrage continues to grow over the actions of masked ICE and CBP officers in Minneapolis in recent weeks, which have now seen two US citizens fatally shot by federal agents.
The first was 37-year-old mom Renee Good, shot three times, including in the head, on January 7 while attempting to drive away from ICE officials. 17 days later, Pretti was shot dead at point-blank range while helping a female protester up from the ground.
These killings have seen tens of thousands march in the streets of the Twin Cities against the continued occupation of Minnesota by federal immigration agents, with local politicians and organizations calling for an end to Trump's month-long 'Operation Metro Surge'.
Pretti's parents shared more information about the ICU nurse who was killed on Saturday and pushed back against claims made about him by DHS secretary Krist Noem and CBP commander Greg Bovino.
They said in a heartbroken statement: "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."
The pressure from the public appears to have caused the White House to row back on comments made about Pretti in the aftermath of his killing, including those of Noem and Bovino calling him a 'domestic terrorist' who had attacked officers.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that she had 'not heard the president characterize Mr Pretti in that way.'
She said that Trump would await an investigation before commenting, adding: “However, I have heard the president say he wants to let the facts and the investigation lead itself.”