Trump Says He Feels “Terrible” for Alex Pretti but “Even Worse” for Renee Good, Citing Her Parents’ Support

 

Trump Says He Feels “Terrible” for Alex Pretti but “Even Worse” for Renee Good, Citing Her Parents’ Support

President Donald Trump is speaking out about the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, both of whom were shot by federal agents amid increased ICE activity in Minneapolis in recent weeks.

In an appearance on The Will Cain Show on Fox News Tuesday, Jan. 27, Trump, 79, discussed both shootings, saying they were "terrible," but that Good's death made him feel "even worse" because her parents were "big Trump fans."

"Bottom line, it was terrible. Both of them were terrible; the other was terrible too," Trump said. "And I'm not sure about his parents, but I know her parents were big Trump fans, makes me feel bad anyway. But I guess you could say even worse, they were tremendous Trump people, Trump fans."

In the interview, Trump also speculated about Good, who was killed on Jan. 7.

"I don't know that you could say radicalized, maybe radicalized, maybe not," Trump said. "I don't know, but I hate to see it."

Trump learned that Good's father, Timothy Ganger, was a "big supporter" of his during a Jan. 13 interview with CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil.

The president's most recent comments come three days after the shooting of Pretti, who was killed by federal agents on Saturday, Jan. 24, as he attended a protest against ICE enforcement actions in Minneapolis. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told PEOPLE in a statement that the killing came as officers were conducting a "targeted operation" against an "illegal alien wanted for violent assault."

Alex Pretti.

US Department of Veteran Affairs

In the statement, McLaughlin claimed that a man "approached" officers while armed with a handgun and "violently resisted" as they attempted to disarm him. The victim was later identified as Pretti, a lawful gun owner with a permit, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a press conference.

Multiple witnesses have since shared videos that contradict DHS's account of the shooting, including those who have said that Pretti appeared to be unarmed at the time of his killing. Following his death, Pretti's family issued a statement in which they slammed the DHS's account of the shooting as "sickening lies."

In the DHS's initial report to Congress, the agency stated that two federal agents fired their guns, CNN reported Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, Trump acknowledged that he did not believe that Pretti was "acting as an assassin," contradicting initial claims from DHS that Pretti was at the protest with the intent to "massacre" federal agents.

Good was shot by federal agents on Jan. 7 after a group of people allegedly gathered to block an immigration enforcement action. Following her death, City Council member Jason Chavez described the 37-year-old mother as a U.S. citizen who was "an observer ... watching out for our immigrant neighbors,” ABC News reported.

On Jan. 20, Trump addressed Good's death as he joined White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for her daily briefing, saying that ICE is "gonna make mistakes sometimes."

Renee Good and Becca Good.

Courtesy of Romanucci & Blandin

"ICE is gonna be too rough with somebody or - you know, they're dealing with rough people," he said. "They're gonna make a mistake sometimes. It can happen."

Trump also acknowledged at the time that Good's father was a "tremendous Trump fan." "He was all for Trump," the president said. "Loved Trump. And, you know, it's terrible. It's so sad. It just happens," he added."

Later in Tuesday's interview with Fox News, Trump said that he would "de-escalate" immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, but clarified that the move was not a "pullback."

"I don't think it's a pullback," Trump said. "It's a little bit of a change. We're going to de-escalate a little bit."

VIA