Politics

Notable figures from across the sports world continue to speak out on the Alex Pretti shooting ... with several NBA superstars condemning what happened in Minnesota over the weekend.

Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Haliburton, and Karl-Anthony Towns – as well as the NBA Players Association as a whole -- have let their thoughts be known in the aftermath of a pair of U.S. citizens being shot by officers.

"I don’t know the whole situation of the people that got murdered, but I do know this is BS," Mitchell told reporters after Cleveland’s win over Orlando on Monday. "It’s BS. That's just been my standpoint on it."

Anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota became unwilling astronomers Monday night ... taking in the full moon when a man dropped his pants and slapped his butt cheeks up against a hotel window.

The impromptu peep show took place at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Maple Grove, Minnesota, where demonstrators -- who believed outgoing United States Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino and other federal agents were inside -- protested from the curb outside.

Their message wasn't well-received by one guy in the hotel standing near a window with a group of his pals ... who decided to lodge a counter-protest of his own -- by mooning the crowd.

Jimmy Kimmel and his late-night colleague Stephen Colbert ain't backin' down against the Trump admin ... ripping into the Department of Homeland Security and ICE following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti over the weekend.

Jimmy gave an emotional plea to Americans to watch the video of Pretti's demise in Minneapolis ... describing the federal agents who killed Pretti as a "gang of poorly-trained, shamefully-led, mask-wearing goons." It's all in the clip -- he says Americans must agree that the chaotic video of Pretti's shooting death is not the "law and order" Trump supporters voted for ... and the proof is all there.

He then chokes up as he lets the city of Minneapolis and Pretti's family know they're not alone.

Melania Trump is urging demonstrators in Minneapolis to keep things peaceful as outrage over federal agents' fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday continues strong in city streets.

The First Lady appeared on "Fox & Friends" Tuesday morning to share her message, noting she's "against violence" and "calling for unity." Notably, she did not address the DHS agents Donald Trump deployed in the city ... solely the protestors.

Melania also said her husband had a "great call" with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey about de-escalating the protests in the city. The prez said in a Truth Social post Monday that he had a productive call with Walz, claiming they "seemed to be on a similar wavelength."

Chris Madel is ending his run for the governor's seat in Minnesota ... because of his own Republican Party's "retribution" on the citizens of his home state.

The attorney, who was running as a Republican, posted a video on X Monday declaring he's dropping out ... he says he still supports deporting "the worst of the worst" from Minnesota -- the original stated goal in the ongoing Operation Metro Surge undertaken by ICE and CBP agents in the Twin Cities.

But Madel thinks President Donald Trump's approach to immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and St. Paul is an "unmitigated disaster." He stated plainly ... "I cannot support the national Republicans' stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so."

He said winning a statewide election in Minnesota is "nearly impossible" in the current political climate.

The video comes two days after Alex Pretti was shot to death by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis. That's the third time federal agents have shot a civilian in the city since the start of the year -- Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent on January 7, and an unidentified man was shot in the leg by a federal agent a week afterward.

Several Republicans in Congress have called for a full investigation into Pretti's death in the days since he was shot, reports NPR.

A doctor who claims he witnessed the Alex Pretti killing says the Border Patrol agents who shot him were more interested in counting bullet holes than performing life-saving measures.

The Minneapolis pediatrician gave sworn testimony saying he did not see Pretti attack Border Patrol agents or "brandish a weapon of any kind" ... and he says "there was absolutely no need for any violence, let alone lethal force by multiple officers."

In his testimony, which is part of a lawsuit against DHS, the doctor -- whose identity is redacted -- says ... "At first, the ICE agents wouldn't let me through. But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, and I could tell that the victim was in critical condition. I insisted that the ICE agents let me assess him."

A GoFundMe campaign launched to help the family of Alex Pretti has blown past the $20,000 goal ... currently at an astonishing $1.2 million as of Monday morning -- and climbing.

As you know ... Alex was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent Saturday morning while protesting the agency's presence in Minnesota. His slaying has sparked massive backlash, with many saying that he was killed in cold blood. The Trump Administration disagrees.

Titled "Alex Pretti is an American Hero," the GoFundMe was started by YouTuber Keith Edwards ... and he says Alex’s father, Michael, is the beneficiary and already has access to funds.

Border Czar Tom Homan's going to get hands-on with the tense situation in Minnesota ... because he's being sent there by President Donald Trump.

POTUS announced his plans for Homan on Truth Social Monday morning, saying Homan "knows and likes many of the people" in Minnesota ... without specifying whom he was referring to.

Trump described Homan as "tough but fair" and said he would directly report to him during his time in Minnesota. Trump did not indicate what Homan will do in his capacity there.

Billie Eilish isn’t sitting this one out -- she’s calling out fellow celebs for staying silent about ICE and CBP in the wake of Alex Pretti’s shooting death ... and resharing a clip of her brother Finneas to show how easy it is to speak up.

In an IG post Sunday, Billie posted a selfie with a baffled look and the caption, "Hey my fellow celebrities, u gonna speak up? Or..." -- clearly putting quiet A-listers on notice.

Billie’s been loud on plenty of political fronts before ... so it’s no shock she posted to rally support and to judge the silence surrounding Saturday's shooting.

President Trump is chiming in again on the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal Border Patrol agent in Minnesota, saying his administration is looking into the matter while also criticizing Pretti for carrying a "very powerful, fully loaded" gun.

On Sunday, Trump phoned Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey, telling him federal investigators are "reviewing everything" regarding Pretti's killing before they make a final determination. When Dawsey asked Trump if the Border Patrol agent who shot Pretti was in the right, the president dodged the question.

Trump then took a swipe at Pretti, saying, “I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest, and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn’t play good either.”

Barack and Michelle Obama released a strong-worded joint statement Sunday, breaking their silence on the killing of Alex Pretti, making one thing clear ... "This has to stop."

Calling Pretti's death a heartbreaking tragedy that "should be a wake-up call to every American," the former president and first lady said no matter what political party you align with, our collective core values as a nation are "increasingly under assault."

The couple stated that while federal law enforcement have a difficult job, they have a duty to work with state and local officials to carry out their work in a lawful and accountable way. But "that's not what we're seeing in Minnesota," they wrote.

A new video from the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis continues to show a dramatically different picture than the government narrative, and it undercuts claims made by top Trump officials about what really happened.

The clip -- shot from inside a car right where Pretti was killed -- captures chaotic, close-up moments as Department of Homeland Security officers confront Pretti. In the footage, the bystander who's filming in their car is heard screaming "Holy sh*t! Oh my god!" just as an agent fires the fatal shots.

In the video, a DHS officer violently pushes a woman to the ground. Pretti appears to move toward her to help her up, and agents then pepper spray both Pretti and the woman before dragging Pretti to the ground. At no point in the clip does Pretti appear to draw or brandish a weapon.

Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost was assaulted during a private CAA party at the Sundance Film Festival, and the alleged attacker has been arrested.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Park City Police responded to High West Saloon just after midnight Saturday following a report of an assault at the invite-only event. Police say Christian Young unlawfully entered the party after being turned away earlier for not having an invitation.

Once inside, Young allegedly assaulted Rep. Frost and a female guest. Authorities say Young crashed the party by sneaking in through an alternate entrance while CAA was hosting its annual Sundance kickoff for filmmakers, agents, and industry executives.

The Minnesota National Guard arrived in Minneapolis Saturday night after Gov. Tim Walz mobilized troops to protect a federal building and the area connected to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.

The footage shows Guard vehicles and personnel moving into the city as tensions remain high following the shooting and the release of new video that has raised serious questions about the government’s initial account of the incident.

As we reported ... newly surfaced video of Pretti's killing captures the entire encounter between him and a large group of Department of Homeland Security officers from start to finish.

A new video of the killing of Alex Pretti shows the interaction between him and a swarm of DHS officers from start to finish ... and, it batters the credibility of Trump officials who came out of the gates swinging, calling Pretti a domestic terrorist

The video shows Pretti directing traffic before it appears he is asked to move out of the street, which he does. As he walks toward the sidewalk, a DHS officer violently pushes a woman to the ground and Pretti moves toward her to help her up. Officers then pepperspray both Pretti and the woman and drag Pretti to the ground. He never pulls a weapon.

As Pretti is swarmed, you see an officer pull a gun — presumably the concealed weapon Pretti was carrying. A second later another officer fires nine shots at Pretti, killing him.

The shooting by federal agents of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis Saturday has led to questions about what sparked the incident ... and we now have video taken just before the killing.

New video obtained by the Associated Press captures Alex Jeffrey Pretti speaking with a couple agents in the street right before he was gunned down.

Passersby in a car took the video ... filming the argument between Pretti and an agent, showing Pretti with his hands up in front of his chest. The exchange didn't seem to get physical until an agent put his hand on Pretti and started pushing him back toward the curb, though we can't be sure by this video who threw hands first.