Trump Blurts Out ‘You Can’t Have Guns’ at Protests — After Days of Backlash From 2nd Amendment Advocates

 

President Donald Trump was asked about the killing of Alex Pretti and blurted out that “you can’t have guns” at a protest — even after days of Second Amendment backlash over that exact sentiment.

Chaos and widespread outrage erupted Saturday when Border Patrol agents shot a man in Minneapolis as social media video of the incident circulated.

Protests erupted immediately, and Trump officials rushed to make outlandish claims about Pretti, the man who was shot — even falsely labeling him an “assassin” and a “domestic terrorist.”

But multiple videos of the shooting refuted those claims.

Trump’s initial reaction was to lash out and blame Pretti and Democratic leaders in a lengthy social media rant in which he highlighted Pretti’s possession of a firearm.

Trump officials took severe backlash from 2A activists for their focus on the firearm, for which Pretti possessed a concealed carry permit.

The president spoke to reporters on Tuesday afternoon as he departed the White House en route to Iowa, and courted the same backlash. PBS Newshour White House correspondent Elizabeth Landers asked if he agreed that Pretti was “acting as an assassin.”

Trump replied that he didn’t — then volunteered his thoughts on carrying firearms to protests:

PBS NEWSHOUR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT ELIZABETH LANDERS: Sir, was Mr. Pretti acting as an assassin? Do you think he was acting as an assassin in Minneapolis?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Who is that?

LANDERS: Mr. Pretti, your deputy chief of staff said that.

TRUMP: No, not (inaudible).

LANDERS: You don’t think so?

TRUMP: Having said that, you know, you can’t have guns. You can’t walk in with guns.

LANDERS: What about the second amendment?

TRUMP: You can’t do that, but it’s just a very unfortunate incident.

Trump pardoned everyone who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 — including those who carried firearms during the riot.

Watch above via C-SPAN.

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