A Harrowing Case of Immediate Smear Campaign: 'Instant' Smearing Against Victim of Border Patrol Shooting
Within minutes of a federal immigration officer shooting and killing 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the Trump administration and right-wing influencers launched a smear campaign against the victim. The label applied to him was that of a "terrorist" and a "lunatic." Alex Pretti, an American citizen and registered nurse who worked in the Department of Veterans Affairs, died after being shot by federal immigration officers. The shooting occurred during a confrontation with multiple agents when Pretti helped a woman who had been pepper sprayed.
Contrary to claims made by Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, video evidence shows that Pretti was not carrying a 9mm handgun or resisting disarmament at the time of his death. The narrative presented by the Trump administration and right-wing media outlets appears to be built on unverified information with some parts contradicted by available public records.
As a result of this smear campaign, Trump himself blamed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for inciting insurrection via their rhetoric. Vice President JD Vance echoed the sentiment in his own post on social media, further fueling public opinion against Pretti without presenting any evidence to support these claims.
The Department of Homeland Security also reinforced Bovino's narrative but has been refuted by Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara and Minnesota Governor Walz who claim that the information released is "nonsense" and lack trustworthiness for an official investigation.
Within minutes of a federal immigration officer shooting and killing 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the Trump administration and right-wing influencers launched a smear campaign against the victim. The label applied to him was that of a "terrorist" and a "lunatic." Alex Pretti, an American citizen and registered nurse who worked in the Department of Veterans Affairs, died after being shot by federal immigration officers. The shooting occurred during a confrontation with multiple agents when Pretti helped a woman who had been pepper sprayed.
Contrary to claims made by Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, video evidence shows that Pretti was not carrying a 9mm handgun or resisting disarmament at the time of his death. The narrative presented by the Trump administration and right-wing media outlets appears to be built on unverified information with some parts contradicted by available public records.
As a result of this smear campaign, Trump himself blamed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for inciting insurrection via their rhetoric. Vice President JD Vance echoed the sentiment in his own post on social media, further fueling public opinion against Pretti without presenting any evidence to support these claims.
The Department of Homeland Security also reinforced Bovino's narrative but has been refuted by Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara and Minnesota Governor Walz who claim that the information released is "nonsense" and lack trustworthiness for an official investigation.
, this is crazy! They're trying to turn a guy into a terrorist in like 2 seconds after he gets shot? It's just not right. Interesting how they try to deflect from the real issue by attacking the politicians instead of taking responsibility themselves. This whole thing reeks of political agenda and misinformation. The fact that they're pushing such unverified info is mind-boggling. And what's up with Trump blaming the mayor and governor for inciting insurrection? That's just ridiculous! 
. And what's with all these lies about Alex having a gun?! That's just ridiculous. He was a nurse, for crying out loud! He wouldn't be carrying a gun on duty 
. I'm so sad that our country has come to this point where we can't even have a conversation without people being immediately labeled as "terrorists" or "lunatics". It's just not right 
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This is getting crazy fast! The Trump admin & right-wing influencers going after Alex Pretti with false info? Unbelievable. Like, come on, guys! You can't just smear someone's name without any evidence. It's not even like they're denying the shooting happened - it's all about discrediting the victim. And now Trump is using his platform to attack local officials? 
. And to think they're using video evidence that shows he was just trying to help someone who got pepper sprayed 
. it's so messed up. I'm not buying the whole thing about him carrying a 9mm handgun or resisting disarmament... sounds like they're trying to cover their own backsides 
. and to see Trump and JD Vance basically start a mob against Pretti without any evidence? that's just disgusting 
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. The thing is, Pretti wasn't even armed and was just trying to help someone who got pepper sprayed 
. And now he's being labeled a "terrorist" and "lunatic"? Come on! That's not how we build trust between law enforcement and the community, fam 
. The whole thing feels like a setup for some politicians to take a shot (no pun intended) at each other 
. Newsflash: just because someone has an opinion doesn't mean it's fact 
. It's just not right to label someone a terrorist over 2 minutes of video footage, you know? The Trump admin and right-wing influencers are just using their platforms to spread misinformation and hurt people's reputations without any evidence. And now they're trying to deflect by saying the victim was resisting disarmament? Like, come on! 
The real issue here is that these people are more concerned with winning an election than with getting the facts straight.