We know it’s difficult to imagine, but the Trump administration has sunk to a new low — this time by allegedly trying to block a memorial for a murdered nurse.
According to local Veterans Affairs officials in Minneapolis, national VA leadership stepped in to shut down a planned memorial honoring Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA ICU nurse shot and killed by federal Border Patrol agents. The message from above, one employee said anonymously, was blunt: “Back off.”
Let that sink in. A nurse. A colleague. A union brother. Dead. And the Trump regime’s response wasn’t compassion—it was damage control.
Emails obtained by reporters show local VA leaders were told to “pause” a noon memorial scheduled just days after Pretti was killed. Staff were stunned. “That doesn’t seem consistent with how they usually respond,” one employee said. This wasn’t about protocol. It was about politics.
Pretti was killed after intervening when agents shoved a woman to the ground. Video shows officers punching him, disarming him of a legally carried firearm he never brandished, then shooting him dead. Their punishment? A three-day administrative leave—after which they’ll quietly return to desk duty.
But honoring the victim? Apparently, that was too controversial.
Instead of acknowledging their own employee’s death, national VA leadership punted responsibility, offered vague statements, and let Trump-appointed VA Secretary Doug Collins use Pretti’s killing to push anti-immigrant talking points—blaming “state and local officials” and invoking “dangerous illegal criminals.” Pretti, meanwhile, was neither an “assassin” nor a “terrorist.” He was a nurse who cared for veterans.
Union leaders were furious. “We are disgusted,” AFGE Local 3669 said, accusing Collins of exploiting a murder to advance partisan narratives. And they’re right. When an administration can’t even allow a moment of silence without spinning propaganda, something is deeply broken.
The VA now claims a “formal memorial” is planned for next week. But the damage is done.
In Trump’s America, even mourning must wait for permission. Even grief is political. And even honoring a fallen nurse is apparently one bridge too far.
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Trump wants ‘honest’ investigation into ‘very sad’ killing of protester Alex Pretti
Default Mono Sans Mono Serif Sans Serif Comic Fancy Small CapsDefault X-Small Small Medium Large X-Large XX-LargeDefault Outline Dark Outline Light Outline Dark Bold Outline Light Bold Shadow Dark Shadow Light Shadow Dark Bold Shadow Light BoldDefault Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%Default Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%The latest fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis has increased the odds of a government shutdown. (CNN, POOL, CBS NEWS)
Published: Jan. 28, 2026 at 4:57 AM GMT+7
(AP) – President Donald Trump said Tuesday a “big investigation” was underway into the killing of protester and ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis.
“I want to see the investigation. I’m going to be watching over it, and I want a very honorable and honest investigation. I have to see it myself,” the president said as he left the White House.
The comment is the latest marker of Trump’s sudden turnabout on the issue as his administration confronts growing pushback — including from some Republicans and Second Amendment advocates — on federal agents’ tactics in the second fatal shooting from the aggressive immigration operation in Minnesota.Default Mono Sans Mono Serif Sans Serif Comic Fancy Small CapsDefault X-Small Small Medium Large X-Large XX-LargeDefault Outline Dark Outline Light Outline Dark Bold Outline Light Bold Shadow Dark Shadow Light Shadow Dark Bold Shadow Light BoldDefault Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%Default Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%President Donald Trump said Tuesday a “big investigation” was underway into the killing of protester and ICU nurse Alex Pretti. (POOL)
A day earlier, the White House made an effort to distance Trump from some early comments by high-ranking administration officials who had branded Pretti as a domestic terrorist despite videos of the encounter contradicting their narrative.
Trump was also asked about Pretti’s family and said in response, he said: “I love everybody. I love all of our people. I love his family. And it’s a very sad situation.”
Immigration agents were active Tuesday across the Twin Cities region, but it was unclear if officials had changed tactics after the shift in tone from the White House.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
