>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
The Post argued federal actions were “backfiring” and demanded DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stop her “self-promoting and combative TV hits.”
The Wall Street Journal went further. Their editorial urged Trump to “pause ICE enforcement in the Twin Cities to ease tensions and consider a less provocative strategy.”
They also dismissed Stephen Miller and Noem as “not credible spokesmen” whose goal was “to own the libs, rather than to persuade Americans.” Essentially, the Journal accused Trump’s team of caring more about Twitter victories than actual border enforcement.
Liberal Papers Paint Trump as Authoritarian
The New York Times skipped any pretense of support.
“The administration is urging Americans to reject the evidence of their eyes and ears,” the editorial declared.
The Times accused Noem and Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino of “lying in defiance of obvious truths” and compared their actions to “authoritarian regimes.” That’s the Times likening a DHS operation to North Korea over a shooting in Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post called for Congress to require ICE agents to wear body cameras and asked, “can Republicans in Congress save him from himself?”
All four editorials appeared within 24 hours of the incident.
What Really Happened in the Alex Pretti Shooting
Alex Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse, attended a protest against federal immigration enforcement Saturday morning.
He legally carried a handgun—Minnesota allows open carry with a permit, which Pretti had.
According to Border Patrol, agents were attempting to arrest an illegal immigrant with a “significant criminal history” when Pretti “approached them” and “resisted attempts to disarm him.”
Videos show multiple agents on top of Pretti, one removing his gun from its holster, then another opening fire seconds later. Federal officials immediately labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist” planning a “massacre” of law enforcement. His parents, however, called him a “sweet, kind man who loved the outdoors.”
The incident occurred three weeks after ICE shot Renee Good, 37, a poet, in her car during a separate Minneapolis operation.
Media Hypocrisy on Enforcement
Where were these editorial boards when Biden’s Justice Department prosecuted January 6 protesters? Where were they during the FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago? They cheered.
Now, when a Border Patrol agent shoots someone approaching armed officers during an active operation, suddenly the message is “de-escalation” and “congressional oversight.”
The Wall Street Journal fretted that “Miller’s mass deportation methods are turning immigration, an issue Mr. Trump owned in 2024, into a political liability for Republicans” ahead of the midterms.
The New York Post called the administration’s response “hasty and misleading” and argued “any reasonable person who has watched the videos clearly knows by now that Pretti was not ‘waving his gun around.’” Yet the evidence shows he carried a gun, which agents removed during the arrest, entirely legal under Minnesota law.
Minneapolis Leadership Enables Crime
All four papers gloss over why federal agents are in Minneapolis.
Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey have turned the Twin Cities into a sanctuary zone, shielding illegal immigrants, even those with criminal histories.
Border Patrol commander Bovino confirmed the agents involved were pursuing an Ecuadorian national wanted for domestic assault and other violent crimes. He was free in Minneapolis because local officials refuse to cooperate with ICE.
Secretary Noem defended her agents, and Pete Hegseth wrote on X: “Thank God for the patriots of @ICEgov – we have your back 100%. You are SAVING the country. Shame on the leadership of Minnesota – and the lunatics in the street.”
The editorial boards, however, labeled this “combative” and “not credible.” They want federal officials to mimic Biden-era caution, deferring to local Democrats undermining federal law.
The Playbook Encouraging Resistance
The editorial boards are effectively teaching protesters a playbook: resist, escalate, and federal agents must back down.
The Wall Street Journal admitted Trump should “pause ICE enforcement in the Twin Cities” because “many on the left would conclude that their civil disobedience has paid off.”
The New York Post demands “impartial investigations” from the same officials calling federal agents an occupying force. The Times likens DHS to authoritarian regimes for defending agents, and the Washington Post wants Congress to step in to “stop Trump from himself.”
All four editorials ran before any investigation could establish facts.
Trump won in 2024 because Americans wanted the border secured. Now that he is enforcing the law, four major papers—including two conservatives—are calling for an immediate retreat the moment enforcement meets resistance.
