The murder of Alex Pretti on Saturday feels like a sea change. I’ve been wrong before – I thought the same when an ICE agent murdered Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis and called her a “f–king bitch” after he shot her repeatedly. But Pretti’s murder seems to have inspired a lot of people to sit up and actually do something and stand for something. Following Pretti’s murder, Barack and Michelle Obama spoke out. Bill Clinton spoke out. The NBA’s players union issued a statement. The Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce issued a statement. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has called in the National Guard to protect people from ICE and Border Patrol, and he’s publicly called on the Trump administration to remove ICE and Border Patrol from his state. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has been ordering ICE to leave his city. The Minneapolis police are investigating Pretti’s murder as a crime, and it’s more than possible that the federal agents who assaulted and murdered Pretti could be criminally charged.
Two Democratic former presidents on Sunday condemned the scenes in Minnesota after Alex Pretti was killed this weekend, framing the tragedy as a pivotal moment that calls Americans to “speak up” and take action. Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama called Pretti’s death a “heartbreaking tragedy” in a statement.
“It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault,” the Obamas wrote.
The Obamas criticized the “unprecedented tactics” the Department of Homeland Security has employed, saying “people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city.”
The Obamas said that “rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they’ve deployed, the President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation, while offering public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that aren’t informed by any serious investigation — and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence.”
The Obamas called on every American to “draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country” and said they hope administration officials change their approach and work with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey “to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals.”
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Obama was exploiting the moment to “sow more division.”
“Obama should join President Trump in urging local Democrat leaders — like Walz and Frey — to work with the Trump Administration to remove dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American communities,” Jackson said in a statement. “Instead, they are attacking law enforcement and defending criminal illegal aliens with additional convictions for murder, rape, assault, and more.”
Someone pointed out (correctly) that even in modern authoritarian dictatorships, most fascist regimes would have avoided having their armed goons murder a citizen/nurse in broad daylight in the street and then lie about it. When Putin has people murdered, he poisons them privately or orders a defenestration. His goons rarely shoot people in the back of the head on a public street in front of witnesses, you know? Anyway, I remain full of contempt for every single person who voted for this in any way, and every single person who sat out the 2016 and 2024 elections.
This New York Times story is not paywalled, and it shows a second-by-second breakdown of what happened. Please scroll through it.
This is not what America, or anywhere, should be https://t.co/fXbS3FOWZc pic.twitter.com/YLx9E6QEq0
— Alanis King (@alanisnking) January 26, 2026
The National Basketball Players Association has released a statement on the killings in Minneapolis:
“Following the news of yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis, a city that has been on the forefront of fight against injustices, NBA players can no longer remain silent” pic.twitter.com/nrkgS6Dnqt
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 25, 2026
— Governor Phil Scott (@GovPhilScott) January 25, 2026
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- Former US President Barack Obama exits the stage after delivering remarks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, USA, at the United Center Featuring: Former US President Barack Obama Where: Chicago, Illinois, United States When: 20 Aug 2024 Credit: CNP/INSTARimages
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- Former First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, USA, at the United Center Featuring: Former First Lady Michelle Obama Where: Chicago, Illinois, United States When: 20 Aug 2024 Credit: CNP/INSTARimages
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- Former President Barack Obama And Rapper Eminem Attend Kamala Harris Rally Featuring: Barack Obama Where: Detroit, Michigan, United States When: 22 Oct 2024 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Get out and Vote Rally at Norristown Highschool Featuring: Michelle Obama Where: Norristown, pennsylvania, United States When: 02 Nov 2024 Credit: William Wade/INSTARimages
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- Former President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump speak ahead of the state funeral services for former President Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral on January 9, 2025 in Washington, D.C Featuring: Barack Obama, Donald J Trump, Melania Trump Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 09 Jan 2025 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
“His goons rarely shoot people in the back of the head on a public street in front of witnesses.”
Yeah, even the Iranian regime keeps trying to hide the bodies. The Kasoggi murder was considered botched for coming out the way it did. The novichok poisoning cases were more audacious, being committed in the streets, but contaminating more people was meant as a diversion in a way. So yeah, I’d like to hear more outrage and fingerpointing from the international community too.
Why would you want more outrage and fingerpointing from the international community? For what it´s worth, the US can still be considered a sovereign nation with a democratically elected (yeah, I know, debatable) government. These killings have taken place on US soil as opposed to the Kashoggi murder and the novicock poisoning so these shouldn´t be compared. To be absolutely clear, this does not mean the murder of Renee Gold, Keith Porter and Alex Pretti can be excused in any way.
You are right, I didn’t consider that those murders were comitted on foreign soil. But the iranian uprising is kimd of similar and Trump actually encouraged peotesters to go harder because he would send help. He did not, because he was busy having people murdered in the US. By foreign outrage I mean maybe the pressure of international condemnation would make the regime take a step back. Now that I typed it out it sounds super naiv.
There is a lot the international community can do.
A good example is boycotting products from Trump’s closest pals specifically.
The USA always has something to say, for good or bad, about things that go on abroad too, so we can have an opinion about what happens in the USA too.
And I choose to support my American friends and strangers by creating more awareness, boycotts and spreading correct information that seens to be more and more oppressed in the USA.
Thanks, Kaiser, for informing people as well.
Extreme right wingers constantly support each other across borders. So should we, normal folks.
The international community can destroy the American economy and make the dollar worthless.
I am devastated to hear about what is happening in the US. My heart goes out to you. May I please ask, when you stated, “The Minneapolis police are investigating Pretti’s murder as a crime, and it’s more than possible that the federal agents who assaulted and murdered Pretti could be criminally charged.” Is this not the case for Renee Good as well? Why are the agents who shot Renee not being investigated for murder? I Googled but there was no clear answer.
The federal government has denied the state access to all the evidence in Renee Good’s case so the state is gathering its own evidence in hopes of eventually charging the agent who murdered Ms. Good. That’s part of the reason it’s so important to have these citizen patrols following and recording everything the goon squads are doing. And it’s why the thugs are murdering them. But there is no statute of limitations on murder so these criminals can be charged years from now.
Thank you for supporting us. 💗
Because femicide is tolerated across the world, that’s why.
Yes and her sexual orientation makes it even more acceptable.
I wonder how History will portray this time, a man going to war on his citizens to prevent the misdeeds of his past coming out
It’s always good when former presidents and other political leaders condemn the federal government unleashing violent terrorists on the American people. Unfortunately, they’re all stating the obvious atp. The only people who can stop it are in the regime itself or Republicans in Congress. They may mutter off the record to reporters about “optics” but the siege and the terror continue unabated. The fact remains Trump could stop this now. His Republican congressional lackeys could stop it now. They all seem to have made a conscious, deliberate decision to ride out the outrage as they have in the past. And to continue to gaslight us about what we see with our own eyes.
The statements are appreciated, sure. But where TF is everyone? Why does it feel like Minnesota is on its own?
I suppose it’s not the Clinton’s and Obama’s job anymore. I don’t know if more boots on the ground is the answer. Maybe adding more big names to the protest is not the answer either. It just feels so hopeless and like more “thoughts and prayers” than anything else.
Here in the Netherlands they’re reporting about both Obama and Clinton making statements. Was quite prominent on the news page I read too.
A lot of media seems to be suppressed in the USA.
I often see Americans say things like “why does this or that person not say anything”, while that person literally made often quite strong statements about something. They just get ignored by a media that is bought up by more and more of your billionaires.
I therefore always recommend following the social media of politicians you align with.
Pope Leo has also condemned our government’s actions in Minnesota and many Catholic priests yesterday at Mass called on their parishioners to speak up and speak out against ICE’s actions by contacting elected officials.
NBA players have been outspoken civil rights leaders for decades and I can feel Bill Russell through that message. Russell spent a lot of time with Grant Williams and Jaylen Brown, who both currently hold leadership positions in the NBAPA
Trump’s minions all have their talking points to brainwash people and it’s important to counter them. The vast majority of those detained by ICE are not murderers, rapists, or gang members and have committed no crime whatsoever. The current talking points are about interfering with or obstructing law enforcement officers doing their jobs. I have been asking MAGAs to define those terms and explain what ICE job duties Renee Good and Alex Pretti obstructed. The response is usually a repetition of the talking point at which I reply that no undocumented people were being detained at either scene so what official ICE law enforcement duties were interrupted? Blank stares, total confusion, and a changing of the subject usually follows.
The citizens of Minnesota are incredible, braving frigid temperatures and the threat of ICE and the Border Patrol to mount protests. Trump can bloviate all day about how threatened the sgents were by Pretti, but we can all see the video. Pretti was murdered, literally gunned down. Those agents are nothing but domestic terrorists, and sadly, they were sent by our own government. The current resident of the White House is the worst terrorist of all.
Walz should have called out the Guard weeks ago.
Nothing from George Bush? He and Cheney are m who helped usher that slob into the White House. Always screaming from President Obama and VP Harris to say something and do something. They did and to many didn’t listen and now we are here and Alex Pretti, Nicole Goode & Keith Porter have all been publicly executed.
Yeah, W. needs to put the paintbrush down and find some courage.
This is unsustainable and horrific.
The pro 2A right is blaming Alex for being legally armed! Kyle Rittenhouse, anyone? Kyle became a hero to the right and he was not legally armed.
Mr. Q3 and I have been heartbroken about our counry for awhile, and we kind of stopped talking about it just to have a break. This got us talking again – I still think the only way to really put a stop to this is peaceful non-participation. Protests provide targets for the goons/troops, but its hard for them to fight people who are absent – people who aren’t shopping in protest, people skipping work in protest, (and most daring) people not paying taxes in protest. People not reading lies, not watching liars, not listening to MAGA apologist podcasts, all in protest. People staying off instagram and fb in protest. People using their time and money to help each other, and support the organizations and people who stand up for whats right. Yes these things only work if lots of people do them, and yes that takes time and communication. But it would work….
Where are all the 2A worshippers? Besides the obvious that Pretti was legally carrying and not brandishing his weapon at these goons. The literal reason we have 2A is exactly for what is happening now: if the federal government goes batshit crazy and starts executing people on the streets, we have the right to defend ourselves against them. That was the whole point. (t’s not there so Jim Bob can get over his small dick syndrome and pose in pictures with his AR.
@Sue I laughed (very sadly) because your comment sums it up so perfectly. I feel as helpless as everyone else.
Has ICE changed this much under Trump? Because Obama deported a lot of immigrants and used ICE to do it yet this things did not happen.
Are they letting anyone sign up for ICE with no basic training and background checks? WTF is going on
ICE has changed drastically. The Trump administration hired lots of those who were convicted for the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Proud Boys and Boogaloo Boys have strong representation in ICE. They no longer follow constitutional due process laws or even the most basic law enforcement protocols. The videos of the Renee Good murder and the Pretti murder show dozens of rules violations from how they approach a situation, how they handle their weapons, what they say, and how they respond.
Yes. They are mass hiring right wing extremists and deploying them en masse to Blue cities. Their identities have been leaked too and there are many Proud Boys – which is a listed terrorist group in Canada and other countries – are in thier ranks.
As my husband said this weekend, “There’s a reason we haven’t seen or heard from The Proud Boys in a while. They’re all in ICE.”
Thanks. For those outside the US, things get reported under the “ICE IS MAD!” rhetoric and then they also say Obama had the highest deportation rates ever, and used ICE to carry these deportations out, almost as if Trump was the first president to use ICE. So I was confused but it makes sense that ICE has been infiltrated by violent racists who need therapy and not guns.
You can argue that Obama and Biden deported too many people but the fact is that immigration enforcement was handled very differently by their administrations. From what I understand, ICE and CBP conducted investigations and knew who they were targeting. Priority was given to undocumented people who had criminal records. When they were arrested, the operation happened early in the morning and it was all done in coordination with local law enforcement. There were no roving gangs of masked men grabbing random people off the streets based on racial profiling. No one was shot and killed. Obviously, our immigration laws should be enforced, but the reputational damage to these agencies cannot be repaired. These agencies must be rebuilt from the ground up and the Department of Homeland Security should be abolished.
That’s how it gest reported: every president has deported people. But what we’re seeing right now has nothing to do with how those deportations were carried out.
Immigration enforcement was carried out quietly and professionally. Most people didn’t even realize it was happening which ironically made Trump’s message about hordes of criminal aliens infiltrating our country resonate with so many voters. Then when they heard about a horrific crime committed by an undocumented person they were outraged (which the MAGA cult was happy to stoke). Some people thought that nothing was being done about undocumented people coming here and committing serious crimes. But all along the government was carrying out real targeted enforcement against criminals, not the random chaos and violence we see now.
Ice is killing US citizens. This action plan is not working. It’s demoralizing our country. From what I’ve read, our country needs immigrants as a tax base for our aging population and to fill low skilled jobs. Our immigration system is outdated and needs reform. The money would be much better spent in updating our immigration system than on these trigger happy thugs.
Republicans have refused to do comprehensive immigration reform for decades because the current mess can be used as a wedge issue against Democrats as Trump has proven. Even George W. Bush tried to reform the immigration system, but it was rejected by the extremists in his own party. Letting the issue fester has led directly to Trump and our current national nightmare.
MN is resisting now because we had to learn a serious of painful lessons after George Floyd was murdered. My advice is start organizing your hyper local community now. Your book club, your faith community, your neighborhood watch. Talk to your family unit now and decide if you will be on the front line protesting or tracking vehicles, or if you will provide behind the scenes mutual aid. Maybe you can’t be active, but you can donate to your local immigration law defense fund. Maybe your skill is calling government officials or writing an oped. Whatever it is, do it now and don’t back down.
It’s great that more prominent people are speaking out publicly. The world is listening. We The People are listening. Personally, I’m waiting to hear from more Republicans — especially Republicans in Congress and other Republican politicians, although I’m not holding my breath.
Chris Madel, a Republican contender for Minnesota governor, had some meaningful things to say as he announced that he would be leaving the race for pragmatic reasons that include the “unmitigated disaster” of the ICE operations in Minnesota. It’s a start.