Vance hasn’t been known to pull punches. And he isn’t going to back down.
Because JD Vance doubled down and took the fight to Democrats
Vance Defends His Stance Without Apology
Vice President JD Vance has firmly declined to offer an apology to the family of the deceased ICU nurse Alex Pretti following his endorsement of a claim by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller labeling Pretti as an “assassin.” When pressed by The Daily Mail on Tuesday about retracting the description, Vance responded sharply: “For what?”
He elaborated: “If something is determined, that the guy who shot Alex Pretti did something bad, then a lot of consequences are going to flow from that. We’ll let that happen. I don’t think it’s smart to prejudge the investigation.”
This resolute position underscores Vance’s emphasis on protecting those who serve on the front lines and avoiding hasty conclusions in high-stakes situations.
The Minneapolis Confrontation and Immediate Backlash
The incident unfolded on January 24 in Minneapolis, where 37-year-old Pretti was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent and a Customs and Border Protection agent during a physical altercation. Shortly after, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) took to X, declaring: “ICE must leave Minneapolis” and “Congress should not fund this version of ICE.”
Miller swiftly countered on the platform: “An assassin tried to murder federal agents,” and “and this is your response.”
Vance amplified Miller’s message by reposting it from his personal account, where it still stands, even as footage emerged indicating Pretti had been disarmed prior to the shooting. President Trump, when asked about Miller’s wording on January 27, distanced himself slightly: “I haven’t heard that. But he shouldn’t have been carrying a gun.”
Trump further commented: “Bottom line, everybody in this room, we view that as a very unfortunate incident, OK? Everyone, unless you’re a stupid person. Very, very unfortunate … I don’t like that he had a gun, I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines. That’s a lot of bad stuff.”
Commitment to Investigation and Calming Tensions
In the aftermath, the administration has taken proactive steps, with President Trump sending border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to de-escalate the situation. The involved agents are on administrative leave, and the Justice Department is probing potential civil rights violations in Pretti’s death.
Reaffirming his prudent approach, Vance stressed on Tuesday: “Let’s do the investigation. Let’s figure out, did these officers have a reasonable fear of Alex Pretti given what happened? Did they engage in lawful conduct or unlawful conduct? Let’s let the investigation determine those things.”
Vance’s measured insistence on facts over emotion continues to resonate as a voice of reason, prioritizing justice and the safety of federal officers in an increasingly polarized debate.
