Melania Trump has made a rare public political statement, calling for unity after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota. The first lady spoke on January 27 during an appearance on Fox & Friends.
Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot by a federal immigration agent during a protest on Saturday. The Department of Homeland Security said the agent fired in self-defense. Earlier this month, another Minnesota resident, Renee Good, was also shot dead by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
“I’m against the violence, so please, if you protest, protest in peace,” Melania Trump said. She added that the country needs unity during this tense period.
The first lady made the remarks while promoting a new movie. Public political statements from her have been rare, especially on issues linked to immigration or her husband’s presidency.
She said President Donald Trump had spoken with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. According to Melania, leaders are working together to calm tensions and prevent further unrest.
President Trump later confirmed the calls and said some federal immigration officers would be pulled from the state. He said officials are reviewing the incident and will reach a conclusion after further investigation.
Trump criticized Pretti for carrying a gun at the protest, saying he does not support any shooting but questioned why someone would bring a loaded weapon to a demonstration. He did not directly say whether the agent acted correctly.
Some eyewitnesses and Pretti’s family have challenged the claim of self-defense. Videos shared online do not show Pretti threatening agents with his weapon. His family said he was deeply concerned about immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis.
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