'Fundamentally wrong:' Gun groups, Republicans condemn Noem, Patel statements
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at FEMA after federal Border Patrol agents fatally shot Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti during an immigration‑enforcement operation on Jan. 24, 2026, drawing protests and scrutiny over the use of force. Photo: Al Drago/Getty Images
A Minnesota gun-rights group accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI director Kash Patel of spreading misinformation about the right to bear arms at protests.
Why it matters: The Trump administration's misstatements about Alex Pretti's shooting death are damaging its credibility even with allies, especially in the gun-rights community.
- "We're getting it from all sides," a Trump adviser told Axios on Sunday.
Zoom in: Appearing on "Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo," Patel said, "You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple. You don't have a right to break the law."
- Patel was echoing Noem, who said Saturday, "I don't know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign."
- The Gun Owners Caucus of Minnesota was quick to dispute Patel's statements, posting on X that Patel was "completely incorrect on Minnesota law. There is no prohibition on a permit holder carrying a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines at a protest or rally in Minnesota."
- The group's president, Rob Doar, told Axios that Noem's understanding of Minnesota gun law was "fundamentally wrong," and he took issue with her statements about Pretti not having his ID while he carried his concealed weapon.
State of play: Minnesota law does not prohibit carrying a loaded firearm to a protest, according to the caucus' webpage as well as information from gun-control advocates like Everytown.
- An FBI spokesperson said Patel wasn't speaking to the letter of the law, per se, but to the practicalities of showing up to a protest armed and coming into conflict with law enforcement.
- Protest groups in Minnesota specifically advise demonstrators to not bring firearms or "weapons of any kind" regardless of what the law allows.
Pressure on DHS
The big picture: President Trump was already complaining about his collapsing immigration poll numbers from videos showing aggressive DHS confrontations with citizen protesters — and that was before the Jan. 7 shooting of Minneapolis protester Renee Good, Axios first reported.
- DHS was also facing a credibility problem over misstatements by top Border Patrol enforcer Greg Bovino and by Homeland Security's spokesperson before Pretti's shooting.
- Noem, who faces calls for impeachment from Democrats, complicated the situation with her Saturday comments.
- Echoing a DHS statement on X, Noem said that "an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. The officers attempted to disarm the suspect, but the armed suspect reacted violently."
Reality check: Videos shot from different angles tell a different story. The conflict did not stem from Pretti's possession of a gun:
- Pretti had no visible weapon: He clearly had a smartphone recording video in his right hand. His left hand was free, videos show.
- The struggle did not begin because agents "attempted to disarm" Pretti: The conflict apparently began because he was trying to help two women who were in a confrontation with the officers.
- Pretti's handgun was discovered only after he was taken to the ground: It was strapped to his back on his waist. His hands were on the ground. He did not appear to reach for the firearm.
- Pretti was shot after he was disarmed: An agent removed Pretti's gun. One of the officers yelled "gun!" Pretti was then shot to death.
Between the lines: A DHS spokesperson said every sentence in the department's statements was accurate and based on information from agents on the ground during an "evolving" situation.
- Noem also imputed motive, saying Pretti was "wishing to inflict harm on these officers coming, brandishing like that."
- The DHS spokesperson did not explain how "brandishing" was an accurate characterization.
- In Sunday show appearances, Bovino and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche both ducked questions about whether Pretti "brandished" a firearm.
What they're saying: Noem's performance drew criticism from Republicans and influencers normally friendly to the administration.
- "In every clip I've seen of Noem today, she's saying something she can't know or that is a lie," Fox commentator Mary Katherine Ham wrote on X Saturday.
- "She also undercuts 2A to say carrying ammo is a problem on its face. I know it's too much to expect people to be responsible, but this is opposite of a grown-up doing the job."
