Trump vows government de-escalation after Minnesota Prentiss shooting: Here's what we know

President Donald Trump has pledged to de-escalate the tensions in Minnesota after the tragic killing of Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent on Saturday, January 24, 2026.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News on Tuesday, January 27, he said, “Bottom line, it was terrible. Both of them were terrible.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has said his administration was “going to de-escalate a little bit” in Minnesota, after the ICE agents killed another U.S. citizen amid rising tensions.

While speaking to other reporters ahead of a planned rally in Iowa on Tuesday night, January 27, Trump drew parallels to the killing of Pretti, an ICU nurse at a veteran’s hospital, as “a very unfortunate incident.”

When asked by reporters about whether he agreed with the depictions of Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” Trump responded” “I haven’t heard that.”

Trump then added, while pointing to Pretti carrying a gun, “He shouldn’t have been carrying a gun.”

For context, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had stated shortly after the fatal shooting that Pretti “wasn’t there to peacefully protest, he was there to perpetuate violence,” and accused him of “domestic terrorism.”

Early in January, Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman, was fatally shot and killed by an ICE agent, followed by Alex Pretti, who was gunned down after being stopped by border agents during the weekend.

Pretti’s death has sparked widespread local protests and public outcry across the country, which led to backlash from lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.

Amid all this chaos, Trump’s latest remarks suggest that his administration is committed to de-escalating the tensions in Minnesota.