In the wake of Pretti's killing, gun rights advocates noted that it is legal to carry firearms during protests.
of a man by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis has renewed a debate over the Second Amendment and concealed carry laws. But this time, the political roles are reversed. The right to bear arms has been a big Republican Party issue for decades.
Conservative politicians have strongly defended the Second Amendment by successfully passing gun rights laws, such as concealed carry, in every state. Minneapolis shooting victim Alex Pretti was legally carrying a firearm. But top Trump administration officials say he did not have a right to do so. "You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It is that simple," said Director Kash Patel. However, President Donald Trump supported Kyle Rittenhouse after he shot and killed two men who tried grabbing his gun during protesters following a shooting involving police. Additionally, some Jan. 6 rioters were armed, and many Republicans supported a Missouri couple who pointed their firearms at protesters after George Floyd's killing. Alex Pretti seen in bystander video Saturday morning in Minneapolis, left, and Kyle Rittenhouse at the Turning Point USA America Fest 2021 event Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Phoenix.The killing spurred notable tension with the GOP's long-standing support for gun rights. Officials say Pretti was armed, but no bystander videos that have surfaced so far appear to show him holding a weapon. The Minneapolis police chief said Pretti had a permit to carry a gun. Yet administration officials, including Noem and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have questioned why he was armed. Speaking on ABC's "This Week" Bessent said that when he has attended protests, "I didn't bring a gun. I brought a billboard." Such comments were notable for a party where support for the Second Amendment's protection of gun ownership is foundational. Indeed, many in the GOP, including Trump, lifted Kyle Rittenhouse into prominence when the then-17-year-old former police youth cadet shot three men, killing two of them, during a 2020 protest in Wisconsin against police brutality. He was acquitted of all charges after testifying that he acted in self defense. In the wake of Pretti's killing, gun rights advocates noted that it is legal to carry firearms during protests. "Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms - including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights," the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus said in a statement. "These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed." In a social media post, the National Rifle Association said "responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens." Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is often critical of the White House, said "carrying a firearm is not a death sentence." "It's a Constitutionally protected God-given right," he said, "and if you don't understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government. The second-ranking Justice Department official said he was aware of reports that Pretti was lawfully armed. "There's nothing wrong with anybody lawfully carrying firearms," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on "Meet the Press" on NBC. "But just make no mistake about it, this was an incredibly split-second decision that had to be made by ICE officers." "The height of hypocrisy which continues out of the White House, scrambling to find some reason to show why these agents were justified," said former Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin. Durkin says the hypocrisy surrounding the Minneapolis case will continue to fracture the Republican Party. While it took over 20 years to pass a restricted concealed carry law in Illinois, residents have a right to carry a loaded firearm to a protest. Minnesota shares the same rights. "Mr. Pretti was not violating the law in terms of the Second Amendment. He had a protected right, and the law in Minnesota did not prohibit him from carrying a firearm," said Rob Chadwick with the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. But Chadwick, a former FBI agent, says the law gets dicey if the armed person inserts themselves in a law enforcement operation. USCCA and a growing number of Republicans are calling for a full investigation into Pretti's death. "When you take that step and get involved physically in a law enforcement action, it is incredibly dangerous and unintended consequences do happen," Chadwick said. Meanwhile, White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt says Trump absolutely supports the Second Amendment for law-abiding Americans, but not for people who impede immigration enforcement operations.Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
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