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494
White House backtracks initial claims about Alex Pretti after intense backlash (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 week ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world
56 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Widely circulated video of Pretti’s killing by federal agents undercut earlier assertions of him being a gunman

White House officials sought to rapidly distance Donald Trump and top officials from their initial portrayals of the man fatally shot by federal officials in Minnesota as a gunman, as they faced a deepening backlash after video footage was widely seen to undercut their assertions.

The move came as Trump advisers appeared to realize that the caustic portrayals of the man, Alex Pretti, who was reportedly licensed to carry a gun, had turned the killing into an even larger political liability for the president.

Over the weekend, senior administration officials including Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff, called the victim “a domestic terrorist who tried to assassinate law enforcement”, while Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, accused him of perpetrating “the definition of domestic terrorism”.

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[–] takeda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 128 points 1 week ago (1 children)

With Renee Good you had to watch several videos to have a full picture and conclude it was murder. Many people didn't bother to put effort that would challenge their opinion so the lies worked on many.

With Alex Pretti this was obvious in every video. His "crime" was trying to shield a woman that the gestapo was attacking.

These incidents also show how important is to record and document what ice is doing.

Without videos the lie that he pulled a gun on agents and started shooting would be three accepted one, because "why would DOJ lie?"

[–] madcaesar@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Dude that video is so many levels of fucked up, that we aren't even talking about that SS motherfucker two hand showing a woman, so she falls on her back into the concrete pavement and then he proceeds to unload pepper spray into her.

That ALONE should be grounds for firing and criminal charges.

They then proceed to pistol whip Alex, throw him onto the ground and unload an entire clip into him.

Then they proceed to lie about EVERY aspect of this encounter, EVERY SINGLE DETAIL, they fucking lie.

This video alone should wake up any maga supporter.

But it won't, because they are litreral demons.

[–] LadyMeow@lemmy.blahaj.zone 102 points 1 week ago

Yeah! Who cares about the person who was killed! No, we have to protect our dumb shit administration. These people are disgusting ghouls

[–] xxce2AAb@feddit.dk 88 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yeah, no. No take-backsies on this one.

[–] BossDj@piefed.social 5 points 1 week ago

You'd think

[–] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 71 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (9 children)

The tightrope being walked by Leavitt comes as administration officials privately said they see the shooting as an unintentional error by agents who got spooked by a possible unintentional discharge of Pretti’s gun after it was taken from him.

Mother fuckers we ALL saw the videos. Pretti's handgun was removed from him and carried across the street by an ICE agent, a full 10 seconds before the first shot was fired. Shit the fuck up with your lies. He did NOT have his gun on him at the time he was shot, there is NO way his weapon accidentally discharged and therefore caused the agents to react by shooting him

FUCK you leavitt

Edit: fine not a full 10 seconds. 3? 5? I've watched those videos enough times and don't want to again. Call it "between 2 and 10", whatever

[–] TheDannysaur@lemmy.world 47 points 1 week ago

I mean I'm with you but don't say a full 10 seconds. That's easily contradicted by the video. You're right on all the other points, but exaggerating the time like that really harms the point you are making.

[–] takeda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 1 week ago

I would say it was more like 3 seconds than 10, but that doesn't change what you said.

Also stabilized video from the person who run behind and recorded it (so glad he did it, I think they purposefully blocked view from the street but didn't expect someone record from the back) shows that the murderer was facing directly where the gun was so there's no way he didn't see it being removed.

[–] radiouser@crazypeople.online 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I was explaining this to my partner last night. It doesn't matter it's a blatant lie, what's important is the average dolt believes the lie.

"Oh, a domestic terrorist with a gun? I'm glad they dealt with him".

"Oh, she tried to run an ICE agent over? I'm glad they dealt with her."

Remember the 'big lie': if a lie is large enough and repeated frequently, the masses will eventually believe it.

[–] bampop@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I'm fairly sure the reason this latest incident is blowing up in their faces is not the blatant lies, it's that they tried to spin it so that Pretti deserved to die because he was carrying a gun. Which pisses off the 2A crowd. If they had shot an unarmed protester that wouldn't be a problem: he didn't comply, was impeding law enforcement, FAFO, etc., apply thought terminating phrase of choice. But because the conversation has become whether you should be executed for carrying a gun, that's touched a nerve.

[–] radiouser@crazypeople.online 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Sure, I absolutely agree with you.

In my previous comment I was trying to highlight a slightly different topic: the fact that "the official story" and what has happened are often mutually exclusive and that it's not important the official story is correct but that it's believed.

[–] bampop@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Maybe I didn't frame it right but I'm talking about the same thing. They lied, egregiously, obviously, repeatedly. The issue now isn't that the story was a lie, and that their supporters are outraged at having been lied to. No, the issue is that it was a poorly chosen lie and not what they wanted to hear.

I guess selling the big lie was always an effective strategy, only now it's being taken to extremes. The fascists don't care about objective reality. They get their reality from the leader and the in-group, and as long as it gives them the right feels it doesn't matter how obviously untrue it is. Those of us who see the lies can point out that the lying liars have lied again, but that's boring, it happens every day. So any backlash is minimal.

But as you say, it also works on the masses who just aren't thinking critically, and given the sheer volume of that flood of lies, that's a big problem.

[–] radiouser@crazypeople.online 1 points 1 week ago

It sounds like we're on the same page, I appreciate you clarifying you point for me. Stay safe.

[–] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I've watched that video so many times, I don't want to do it again, but I'm pretty sure this is accurate. Grey coat removes the gun from Alex, and as he's walking away there's a muzzle flash and the first shot can be heard. Then the rest of the shots all come a second or so later. The angle from the street where you can see Grey coat run away has the clearest view of it.

Oh and it wasn't an accident. Motherfucker had gun training, he put his finger inside the trigger guard, he intended to discharge that weapon. You don't get an oopsie poopsie for that.

[–] SGforce@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago

The one video from the other angle (think it's "pink jacket woman") show's the shooter unholstering his weapon as he watches the grey jacket guy take the victim's gun. I don't know where the first shot came from, but that guy straight up executed an unarmed man.

[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Even the weapon did discharge, that would still be ICE’s fault for pepper spraying and beating the shit out of the guy. Maybe be more careful while you don’t know what on his person.

[–] OrteilGenou@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

The only possible unintentional discharge is in the diaper in chief

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[–] apftwb@lemmy.world 44 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Maybe don't publically claim every victim of a police shooting is a terrorist when you don't have any information.

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 41 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Too late. They all played their cards way too early and ignorantly. We all know the ridiculous bullshit they said. And just like the videos of Pretti's murder, their comments are indelibly on record. And no amount of backtracking will change that. America will remember.

[–] nednobbins@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 week ago

America will remember.

I hope you're right, but I'm worried that our attention is about to shift to some fascinating squirrels.

[–] InputZero@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

...America won't remember. Next week people will be saying "Alex who?"

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[–] 7112@lemmy.world 37 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Leavitt is only 28. All that lying has aged her so much.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago

And the grooming

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[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 34 points 1 week ago

Are they saying this happened at today's White House press event? Here it is and the official White House statement on this is, it's the sanctuary city's fault that ICE murdered those people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u1KrIgiBx4

[–] vivalapivo@lemmy.today 31 points 1 week ago

Oh no you don't

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 29 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old protester who was [murdered by ICE]
...
After initially doubling down on the accusation that Good was trying to run over the agent, Trump said last week it was a tragedy after learning Good’s father was a Trump supporter. “You know, when the woman was shot, I felt terribly about it,” he said.

Fucking asshole

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 12 points 1 week ago

Hold the people who lied about him accountable or your not "distanced" at all.

[–] MehBlah@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

After hearing them speak no amount of external beauty can make up for the ugliness inside.

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Is the big lie strategy finally backfiring? I don't know why it took ten fucking years of this BS but I'll take it.

[–] hector@lemmy.today 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Nah, they will just find new ways to set these precedents dishonoring the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 1pth amendments. Probably the 5th too before long.

They are gearing up for fixing elections, these precedents are set on immigration because that is where they have the most support.

If their people buck at executing under false pretense and slandering to justify it, they will find a situation where they will support it.

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Oh for sure I'm not implying the Trump administration is over or anything, but this is just the first time I can ever recall the right not immediately and universally rallying around the most patently false bullshit imaginable.

That said, if they actually pull out of Minneapolis as news reports were indicating, I think this is a huge defeat for the Trump administration. I'm sure they will try to come up with a new plan as you say but it's still a big tactical win to defeat this particular strategy since I think it was pretty clear and easy how it was going to work.

[–] OrteilGenou@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

To me the 1pth amendment is the most controversial

[–] hector@lemmy.today 1 points 1 week ago

The first penisith amendment. Those dicks had to slip it in there.

[–] DandomRude@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Was it already the case before MAGA that it was completely normal for the highest law enforcement authorities in the US to blatantly lie and completely disregard the law, even breaking it themselves on a regular basis, even in high-profile cases?

As a European, I am now so used to the fact that absolutely nothing the White House communicates is even remotely true that it seems like the normal state of affairs in the US.

Is it just particularly extreme with this criminal mafia regime, or was it already common practice before?

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 week ago

Was it already the case before MAGA that it was completely normal for the highest law enforcement authorities in the US to blatantly lie and completely disregard the law, even breaking it themselves on a regular basis, even in high-profile cases?

Yes, but to a MUCH lesser extent. The atrocities of MAGA are the fascistic end result of DECADES of concerted and deliberate radicalization turned up to 11 once they got the green light.

As a European, I am now so used to the fact that absolutely nothing the White House communicates is even remotely true that it seems like the normal state of affairs in the US.

Same..

Is it just particularly extreme with this criminal mafia regime, or was it already common practice before?

Kinda answered your own question there: it's basically a more extreme version of what was already common practice in the land of the fee and the home of the slave.

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[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

“They don’t believe us? Uh oh, now what do we do?”

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[–] COASTER1921@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If they actually backtracked they'd remove ICE from Minneapolis and move them to Texas. If they're seriously concerned about the Southern border as they claim there's no reason they'd start in Minneapolis.

[–] BanMe@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They are in Texas, too. And other Southern states. MN was just because Trump wanted to hammer Walz about the scandal up there, realized brown people stealing from the government would play very well with his base. He'll bleed it for every drop before letting the goons get rough elsewhere for headlines.

[–] COASTER1921@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I (unfortunately) live in Texas and haven't noticed any presence like what it appears they have in Minneapolis.

Of course we also have Republicans top to bottom in our government, so we're probably a "good" city. Which is ironic because we (Dallas) voted in a Democrat Mayor, but he announced he was changing to be Republican a few weeks after his term began.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

This administration is like Game of Thrones with the cast of Veep.

If these evil idiots had half a brain, they wouldn’t have immediately bum rushed the press and social media with half baked lies. They could’ve taken a beat to fully bake their lies.

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[–] whitecollarcry@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

drats! surely the murder would have thrown them off my child-fucking trail..

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 6 points 1 week ago

It's only because the NRA issued a statement.

[–] kreskin@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

If we could get our judicial branch functioning again and give them the ability to fire presidential cabinet members and appointees for crimes, we'd have some chance at having some semblance of a democracy and accountability again. Congressional impeachment does not function as a legitimate check and balance.

[–] baka@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Backtracking? How about keep walking.. BACK UP, BACK THE FUCK UP. Opens fire on Nazi filth

[–] AlexLost@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

How come it took so long for such harsh blowback that they are thinking twice about their stance? There is a major crisis in the country and it goes far, far, far beyond the wailing baby in the oval office.

[–] X@piefed.world 2 points 1 week ago

Wroooong motherfuckers, the only distance you’re getting is shoved up close and personal to be inextricably linked with those Americans you murdered.

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