President Donald Trump stepped into a minefield this week when he criticized Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis man fatally shot by a federal agent, for carrying a handgun and extra ammunition. The comments are opening an unusual rift with gun rights groups that normally form the Republican Party's most reliable base.

Trump Stands By His Criticism

Speaking to reporters at a restaurant in Iowa on Tuesday, Trump was asked whether he agreed with top aides who described Pretti as a domestic terrorist or assassin. He said he hadn't heard those assessments but didn't back away from his position. "Certainly he shouldn't have been carrying a gun," Trump said, according to Reuters.

Trump continued: "He had a gun. I don't like that. He had two fully loaded magazines, that's a lot of bad stuff. And despite that, I'd say that's very unfortunate."

Here's the problem with that take: Pretti was a 37-year-old ICU nurse and licensed concealed-weapons holder who was legally carrying when he was killed Saturday during a federal immigration operation. Bystander video that went viral online shows Pretti never touched his holstered gun before agents shot him, contradicting early claims from some Trump officials that he posed an imminent threat.

Gun Rights Groups Push Back Hard

The Second Amendment crowd is not pleased. Both the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America say Pretti was lawfully armed and are demanding a full investigation. Luis Valdes of Gun Owners of America told Reuters that Americans "absolutely can peacefully protest while armed," calling it a tradition dating back to the Boston Tea Party. The group, he said, was "not happy" with Trump's remarks.

This pushback matters because gun organizations are among the most dependable allies the Republican Party has. Trump's comments, echoed by other administration officials who've argued that armed protesters bear responsibility for the risks they face, have created an unusual breach just months before the November midterm elections.

Strange Bedfellows Unite Against Trump

Trump's latest remarks produced a truly bizarre political moment: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, one of the nation's most vocal gun-control advocates, found himself aligned with the NRA in condemning the president's stance. Newsom wrote on X that "nothing is sacred in Trump's America — not the First Amendment, not the Second, not even life itself."

The controversy is happening as the White House faces mounting criticism over "Operation Metro Surge," a Trump-ordered deportation drive in Minnesota. The operation and broader immigration tactics have reportedly driven down public support for his enforcement agenda, though some voters still back his border wall plans.