Trump Assures ‘Big, Honourable’ Probe Into Alex Pretti’s Shooting, Says He’ll ‘Watch Over It’

Last Updated:January 28, 2026, 01:31 IST

Trump said he wants to personally review the investigation into the death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti.

US President Donald Trump speaks with the media as he heads to Marine One to travel to Iowa, from the White House in Washington, DC, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said there would be a “big” and “honorable” investigation into the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, adding that he would personally be “watching over” the probe.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump was asked whether Pretti’s death was justified. “We’re doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I’m going to be watching over it,” he said. “I want a very honorable and honest investigation. I have to see it myself.”

Trump’s comments came amid growing backlash over the shooting, which occurred during protests against immigration raids in Minneapolis. Pretti, 37, was killed on Saturday in an encounter with federal agents.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said his Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem would remain in her post despite calls for her resignation over the incident. “No,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if Noem should step down. “I think she’s doing a very good job,” he said, in his first on-camera remarks since the shooting.

The New York Times reported that Trump held an almost two-hour meeting with Noem on Monday evening. Noem has backed aggressive immigration raids and had described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist”, a characterisation that has drawn sharp criticism.

Trump appeared to distance himself from those remarks, as well as from comments by Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who had called Pretti an “assassin”. Asked whether he agreed with Miller’s statement, Trump replied: “No.”

At the same time, the President pointed to the presence of a firearm as a key issue. “That being said, you can’t have guns, you can’t walk in with guns, you can’t do that,” Trump said.

The Trump administration has said Pretti was carrying a handgun during the confrontation. However, video footage circulating online shows Pretti was not holding the weapon at any point and that an agent had removed it before he was shot.

Trump also said he felt for the victim’s family. “I love his family and it’s a very sad situation,” he said.

The president has dispatched border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis, signalling a possible shift toward a more targeted approach to immigration enforcement, even as his administration continues to defend the actions of federal agents involved in the shooting.

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