Trump Calls Alex Pretti An 'insurrectionist' And 'agitator' After New Video Of Icu Nurse Emerges

Donald Trump connected Friday called Alex Pretti an "agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist," marking an summation successful nan strength of his rhetoric toward nan ICU caregiver fatally changeable by national agents aft nan president precocious said he wanted to "de-escalate a small bit" successful Minnesota.

In a station connected Truth Social, Trump said that Pretti’s "stock has gone measurement down pinch nan conscionable released video of him screaming and spitting successful nan look of a very calm and nether power ICE Officer, and past crazily kicking successful a caller and very costly authorities vehicle, truthful difficult and violent, successful fact, that nan taillight collapsed disconnected successful pieces.'

NBC News antecedently reported connected nan video, shared online this week, that appeared to show Pretti successful an altercation pinch agents conscionable days earlier he was fatally shot. In nan video taken connected Jan. 13, Pretti is seen yelling astatine national migration agents and kicking nan backmost of a conveyance utilized by agents, breaking a taillight. It is not clear what happened earlier nan interaction.

“It was rather a show of maltreatment and anger, for each to see, crazed and retired of control. The ICE Officer was calm and cool, not an easy point to beryllium nether those circumstances! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump said successful nan Friday post.

Earlier this month, Renee Good was besides fatally changeable by national agents while successful her car.

Initially, apical Trump management officials defended nan migration operations successful Minneapolis and sought to formed blasted connected Pretti by noting that he was carrying a gun, which he was legally permitted to do. Trump called him a "gunman," while others successful his management branded him a “domestic terrorist” and "would-be assassin."

After facing important criticism, including from Republicans, nan management backed distant from these characterizations.

Pretti’s family was speedy to condemn officials for their comments astir Pretti, who was a caregiver astatine nan Veterans Affairs infirmary successful Minneapolis and had a licence to transportation a concealed weapon.

Earlier this week, however, Trump said he wanted to “de-escalate” nan business successful Minnesota and called Pretti’s decease a “very unfortunate” incident.

As antecedently reported by NBC News, Trump removed confrontational Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino from nan segment successful Minneapolis connected Monday and sent successful separator czar Tom Homan. He besides said by telephone pinch Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Democrats he has harshly criticized successful nan past, astir turning down nan temperature.

On Thursday, separator czar Tom Homan admitted that operations successful nan authorities could beryllium improved and called connected section leaders to activity together pinch national agents to “tone down nan vulnerable rhetoric.”

"There are galore ways your sound tin beryllium heard, definitive your feelings and impact alteration successful nan state crossed that line," Homan said. "Political and different disagreements successful this room should not astatine nan disbursal of nationalist information and information of national rule enforcement officers."

A White House spokesperson said they had nary further remark beyond nan president's Truth Social post.

The Department of Justice has opened a national civilian authorities probe into Pretti's death, Deputy AG Todd Blanche said successful a Friday property conference.

"We’re looking astatine everything that would shed ray connected what happened that time and successful nan days and weeks starring up to what happened," Blanche said.

Blanche added that he does not cognize wherever Pretti’s telephone is aliases nan weapon that he had connected him earlier his death.