‘Unacceptable’: Clinton decries Minneapolis violence, urges Americans to defend democracy

Former US President Bill Clinton spoke out on Sunday following the killing of US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse, by federal agents in Minneapolis, criticising the government’s actions as legal and political pressure mounted.

The Democratic leader described the events as “horrible scenes” and urged Americans to protest what he called unacceptable government conduct.

“It is up to all of us who believe in the promise of American democracy to stand up, speak out, and show that our nation still belongs to We the People,” Clinton said, warning that Trump administration officials have “lied to us” about the fatal encounters and used increasingly aggressive tactics in their immigration crackdown.

Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come.  This is one of them. pic.twitter.com/fr4TclLBZd

— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) January 25, 2026

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Minneapolis shooting: Pressure builds on Trump administration to probe Alex Pretti's killing Trump blames Democrats for ‘chaos’, calls for immigration enforcement amid Minneapolis shooting uproar

Demands for accountability and investigation dispute

Calls for accountability have emerged from across the political spectrum, driven by bystander videos and questions surrounding the conduct of federal agents involved in the incident. The shooting has also led to a legal dispute over who has authority over the investigation, alongside renewed appeals from state and city leaders to scale back the aggressive federal immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis and neighbouring areas.

Federal officials said agents fired in self-defence early Saturday when Pretti intervened in a confrontation between an immigration officer and a woman on a city street. Authorities said Pretti was armed, though multiple bystander videos do not appear to show him holding a weapon at the time. Minneapolis police confirmed that Pretti had a valid permit to carry a handgun.

Further analysis of the footage has intensified scrutiny, with videos showing officers later removing a handgun from Pretti after he had already been restrained. His family said they were “heartbroken but also very angry”, describing Pretti as a kindhearted person who wanted to make a positive difference.

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Court order and evidence preservation

A federal judge issued an order barring the Trump administration from destroying or altering any evidence related to the killing. The decision followed a lawsuit from state and county authorities seeking access to material gathered by federal agencies.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the lawsuit aims to preserve evidence that state investigators have not yet been permitted to review. A hearing is scheduled for Monday in federal court in St. Paul. “A full, impartial, and transparent investigation into his fatal shooting at the hands of DHS agents is non-negotiable,” Ellison said.

Strains surrounding immigration enforcement had already been elevated. Another federal judge had earlier ruled that officers involved in the Minnesota immigration surge could not detain or use tear gas against peaceful protesters, though that decision was temporarily paused by an appeals court shortly before Saturday’s shooting.