Claims by Trump administration officials that the man fatally shot by a federal agent in Minneapolis lacked a right to possess a firearm and that his killing was justified are being dismissed by legal experts and assailed by gun rights groups ordinarily aligned with the president.

The shooting death produced no clear shifts in U.S. gun politics or policies, even as President Trump shuffles the officials leading his immigration crackdown.

President Trump questioned why Alex Pretti carried a gun when shot by a Border Patrol agent, calling the incident "unfortunate." While Trump's administration advocates for broad Second Amendment rights,

Trump in hot water with gun rights base after White House abandons Second Amendment to defend ICE killing of Alex Pretti - Aftermath of shooting prompts bizarre role reversal as White House assails vi

RCP's Phil Wegmann asked the White House on Monday about FBI Director Kash Patel's comment that Minnesota man Alex Pretti ended up shot and killed by Border Patrol agents because he brought a firearm to a protest.

A sweeping state law was passed in 2024, supporting a crackdown of "ghost guns" and increasing age restrictions for the purchase of guns.

President Donald Trump was confronted after he responded to the shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by insisting that "you can't have guns."Before a trip to Iowa on Tuesday, Trump took questions from reporters about Pretti's killing at the hands of federal agents.

LAKE FOREST, CA - January 15, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - As the Supreme Court prepares to hear multiple cases that will

Sources: Trump to reduce Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis after shooting; Anti-ICE protestors clash with federal officers at hotel; Trump administration under pressure over deadly Minneapolis shooting;