By — Liz Landers Liz Landers By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-you-cant-have-guns-you-cant-walk-in-with-guns-trump-says-of-alex-pretti-killing Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: 'You can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns,' Trump says of Alex Pretti killing Politics Jan 27, 2026 1:44 PM EST President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he did not think Alex Pretti, the second U.S. citizen to be killed by federal forces in Minnesota this month, was acting as an assassin. "You can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns," the president said in response to a question from PBS News' Liz Landers, reiterating a talking point from the administration that Pretti should not have brought a legally carried handgun to the scene — a position that has infuriated gun rights advocates. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. The president's response amounted to a softening of his administration's tone on the Jan. 24 shooting, after several of his top aides, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, described Pretti as a threat to federal agents. Following Pretti's death, gun rights groups have released statements, saying that it's legal to carry firearms during protests or while exercising First Amendment rights. READ MORE: A second U.S. citizen was killed by federal forces in Minneapolis. Here's what we know Landers asked Trump about the Second Amendment, which protects the right to keep and bear arms. "It's a very unfortunate incident," Trump said, shortly before departing the White House for a planned speech in Iowa. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Liz Landers Liz Landers Liz Landers is a correspondent for PBS News Hour, where she covers the White House and the Trump administration. Prior to joining the News Hour, she served as the national security correspondent for Scripps News, and also reported on disinformation for the network. By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas is a senior editor for the PBS NewsHour's Communities Initiative. He's also the senior editor and manager of newsletters. @Josh_Barrage
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he did not think Alex Pretti, the second U.S. citizen to be killed by federal forces in Minnesota this month, was acting as an assassin. "You can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns," the president said in response to a question from PBS News' Liz Landers, reiterating a talking point from the administration that Pretti should not have brought a legally carried handgun to the scene — a position that has infuriated gun rights advocates. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. The president's response amounted to a softening of his administration's tone on the Jan. 24 shooting, after several of his top aides, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, described Pretti as a threat to federal agents. Following Pretti's death, gun rights groups have released statements, saying that it's legal to carry firearms during protests or while exercising First Amendment rights. READ MORE: A second U.S. citizen was killed by federal forces in Minneapolis. Here's what we know Landers asked Trump about the Second Amendment, which protects the right to keep and bear arms. "It's a very unfortunate incident," Trump said, shortly before departing the White House for a planned speech in Iowa. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now