A 2018 tweet by Charlie Kirk has resurfaced after Alex Pretti was killed by ICE.
Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was killed by federal immigration and Border Patrol agents during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 24 - a fatal encounter that has since ignited widespread protest, fierce political debate, and renewed scrutiny of federal force at demonstrations.
The agents encountered the registered nurse around 9:05AM near Nicollet Avenue. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Pretti was armed with a 9mm handgun and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him.
DHS claims an agent fired in self-defense, but that version of events has been sharply challenged by eyewitnesses, public officials, and Pretti’s family.
Videos shared online show the man holding a phone, not a weapon, as he is tackled and pinned to the ground. No footage shows him threatening officers with a firearm.
Charlie Kirk Tweet Resurfaces
As Pretti’s death dominates national headlines, a 2018 tweet from late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has gone viral for its eerie relevance.
“The 2nd Amendment is not for hunting, it is not for self protection,” Kirk wrote. “It is there to ensure that free people can defend themselves if god forbid government became tyrannical and turned against its citizens.”
The tweet was reshared by the Homeland Dems official X account with a single caption: “Interesting.”
The resurfaced post has added fuel to an already heated debate over the Second Amendment and government power.
While Trump argues Pretti’s death emphasizes the risk of bringing guns to protests, gun rights advocates say the case underscores the very reason constitutional protections against government overreach must be preserved.
Pretti's Parents Blast Trump Administration
Pretti’s family has been vocal in rejecting the federal government's portrayal of their son as a threat.
In a scathing statement, they accused the Trump administration of spreading lies and murdering an innocent man.
“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” the statement reads. “Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs.”
They continued: “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 statement ends with a plea: “Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”
As protests continue to swell across the country, political figures from both sides of the aisle have weighed in on the unfolding controversy.
In a statement on X, former President Bill Clinton urged Americans to act: “Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them.
"It is up to all of us who believe in the promise of American democracy to stand up, speak out, and show that our nation still belongs to We the People," he added.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, President Donald Trump offered a measured but firm response: “I don't like any shooting. I don't like it. But I don't like it when somebody goes into a protest, and he's got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn't play good either.”
Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a Trump ally, expressed both concern and support for enforcement actions: "The nation witnessed a horrifying situation this weekend. My prayers are with the family of Alex Pretti. My support for funding ICE remains the same.
"Enforcing our immigration laws makes our streets safer. It also protects our national security. But we must also maintain our core values as a nation, including the right to protest and assemble. I expect a prioritized, transparent investigation into this incident," he concluded.