Incident in Minneapolis Sparks Controversy

On January 24, 2026, President Donald Trump accused Minnesota officials of “incitement of insurrection” following an incident where federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old man during an attempted arrest. Reports suggest the man may have drawn a weapon while resisting arrest.

After the shooting, Trump shared a photo of the gun that was allegedly in the man’s possession, defending the actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents involved. He questioned the absence of local police and asserted that the mayor and governor failed to support ICE officers, labeling their statements as “arrogant.”

“The mayor and governor are inciting rebellion with… dangerous statements,” Trump wrote, criticizing the politicians instead for not addressing what he termed a financial crisis in Minnesota.

He claimed that ICE’s actions had made Minneapolis safer, citing the arrest of 12,000 undocumented individuals, including many violent offenders. He asserted that if these individuals were still present, the city would be experiencing much worse conditions.

“Why is there $34 million in Ilhan Omar’s account?” Trump questioned, referencing the Minnesota Representative, and linked this financial issue to a larger narrative of fraud related to state welfare programs.

In response, Governor Tim Walz condemned federal actions following the shooting, which he labeled as a moment of chaos. The victim, who was identified as Alex Pretti, was reportedly an ICU nurse who legally carried a concealed firearm. However, federal authorities contend he was resisting arrest at the time.

The incident has come during heightened immigration enforcement in the area, with increasing tensions over a broader welfare fraud scandal where as much as $18 billion may have been misappropriated from Minnesota’s Medicaid program since 2018, prompting ongoing federal investigations.