Minnesota killing produces backlash against Trump administration from Second Amendment advocates
(AP) Prominent Republicans and gun rights advocates helped elicit a White House turnabout this week after bristling over the administrations characterization of Alex Pretti, the second person killed this month by a federal officer in Minneapolis, as responsible for his own death because he lawfully possessed a weapon.
The death produced no clear shifts in U.S. gun politics or policies, even as President Donald Trump shuffles the lieutenants in charge of his militarized immigration crackdown. But important voices in Trumps coalition have called for a thorough investigation of Prettis death while also criticizing inconsistencies in some Republicans Second Amendment stances.
If the dynamic persists, it could give Republicans problems as Trump heads into a midterm election year with voters already growing skeptical of his overall immigration approach. The concern is acute enough that Trumps top spokeswoman sought Monday to reassert his brand as a staunch gun rights supporter.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-pretti-minnesota-second-amendment-ice-ffef56cab9930e52273f8227251452f4