‘Wake-up call for America’: Obamas condemn killing of Alex Pretti, accuse Trump of assault on US values

Barack and Michelle Obama on Sunday issued a statement condemning the killing of a second US citizen in Minneapolis by federal agents, saying it exemplified President Donald Trump's "assault" on American values.

"The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault," the former President and first lady said in a joint statement.




This remarks came after Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man identified as Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse in Minneapolis.

In a statement, Obama flagged that people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of "masked" ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to "intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger" the residents of a major American city.



"These unprecedented tactics-which even the former top lawyer of the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration has characterized as embarrassing, lawless and cruel-have now resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S citizens," they said.

"And yet rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they've deployed, the President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation, while offering public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that aren't informed by any serious investigation-and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence," they added.

They also said that the killing of people should be stopped and hoped that the administration officials will reconsider their approach, and start finding ways to work constructively with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey as well as state and local police to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals.

"In the meantime, every American should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country. They are a timely reminder that ultimately it's up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our basic freedoms, and hold our government accountable," they urged.