Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent swerved a question from Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) about Alex Pretti during his Senate hearing.
on Thursday to testify on the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s Annual Report for 2025. When Van Hollen began questioning Bessent, he first pressed him on his response to the January shooting of Pretti by multiple Border Patrol agents.
BESSENT TAKES FLAK FROM DEMOCRATS OVER AFFORDABILITY IN SENATE HEARING “You suggested that Alex Pretti was culpable in his own killing because he had a gun in his waistband holster, which he was licensed to carry,” Van Hollen said. “So, Mr. Secretary, today, would you like to retract that statement?” Van Hollen’s line of questioning was directed at a statement Bessent made the day after Pretti’s death, in which, “I am sorry that this gentleman is dead, but he did bring a 9mm semi-automatic weapon with two cartridges to what was supposed to be a peaceful protest.” Pretti’s legally open-carrying has become a sticking point in conservatives’ response to the shooting.here in the Capitol?” Bessent asked Van Hollen in response, referring to Babbitt’s death by Capitol Police when trying to break into the Speaker’s Lobby. “I have expressed remorse over that, so I’ve done that,” Van Hollen said. “I have other questions, but I actually would have expected you to take this opportunity to rephrase your response to that question. So you think the fact that he legally had a gun justified his killing?”The two went back and forth for a few moments before Van Hollen ultimately said, “I’m asking you a question now: Do you believe he was in any way culpable for his own killing because he legally carried a gun?”Van Hollen dropped the line of questioning, saying, “Your credibility is important, and in that response, I think you let down the country because we expect honesty after that kind of terrible tragedy.” Following Pretti’s death, several members of the Trump administration followed Bessent’s suit in raising questions over Pretti’s decision to carry a gun while protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis. President Donald Trump also said he did not “like” that Pretti had a gun.GUN GROUPS SPLIT WITH TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER MINNESOTA SHOOTINGsaid. “I encourage people to carry. I encourage people to exercise their Second Amendment rights, but I also recognize that people need to be encouraged to de-escalate as well and make sure that you are not impeding any kind of federal investigation.”
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