President Donald Trump has altered his perspective on the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, both of whom were fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis last month.
Originally, the president seemed to place blame on both individuals for the violence that ensued.
However, his latest comments signal a more sympathetic view regarding these tragic incidents.
Tragic Deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good
Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, was shot on January 7 while behind the wheel of her car, trying to escape from ICE agents who were conducting raids in her neighborhood.
Just under three weeks later, Alex Pretti was involved in an ICE protest on January 24. He was tackled by officers and subsequently shot. The medical examiner has ruled his death as a homicide.
Trump’s Previous Comments on Good and Pretti's Deaths
Initially, Trump did not express sympathy for the deaths of Good and Pretti. In fact, he placed some blame on the individuals involved, suggesting that their actions contributed to the deadly confrontations.
In a post on Truth Social the day after Good's death, the president made controversial remarks, calling Good a “professional agitator” and accusing her of violently resisting law enforcement.
He stated: “The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing, and resisting, who then violently, wilfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense.”
Trump also voiced support for law enforcement in the aftermath of these incidents, referring to the broader social context of the deaths.
“We need to stand by and protect our Law Enforcement Officers from this Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate,” he added at the time.
When discussing Pretti’s death, Trump fueled the narrative that Pretti had been armed during the protest, suggesting that he was carrying a gun.
However, this claim has been disputed by witnesses. Trump also called Pretti an “agitator” and even implied that he may have been involved in insurrectionist activities.
In one Truth Social post, he said: “Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Officer, and then crazily kicking in a new and very expensive government vehicle, so hard and violent, in fact, that the tail light broke off in pieces.”
A More Sympathetic Tone from the President
In an interview with NBC News, however, Trump softened his tone and appeared to express more empathy regarding the deaths. Reflecting on the tragic events, the president stated: "I'm not happy with what happened there.
"Nobody could be happy and ICE wasn’t happy either.” He acknowledged that while neither Pretti nor Good were perfect, the violence that occurred was unfortunate.
Trump also shared that, in his view, the people most affected by the deaths were the officers of ICE. "You know who feels worse about it than anybody? The people of ICE," he remarked.
This marks a shift from Trump’s earlier comments, where he seemed to focus on blaming the victims for their involvement in the confrontations.
Now, the president is expressing a more measured reaction, emphasizing the sadness surrounding the events while still supporting law enforcement. "It should not have happened," Trump said. "It was very sad to me, a very sad incident. I think they were both sad.”