Photos from Reuters.
(Minneapolis, Minnesota) – CNN contributor Ana Navarro is facing backlash after describing Alex Pretti as “the perfect guy” during a recent panel discussion, even as newly circulated video appears to show Pretti aggressively confronting federal immigration agents days before his death.
Navarro said Pretti was “the guy you want to date your daughter” and “the man you want your son to be,” insisting that critics “can’t malign him because we have the videos.” Her comments quickly spread across social media following the fatal encounter between Pretti and federal agents in Minneapolis.
However, a separate video posted to X – allegedly recorded roughly a week and a half before the shooting – shows Pretti yelling profanities at ICE agents, daring them to assault him, spitting in their direction, and kicking a federal vehicle. In the clip, Pretti can be heard shouting, “Fcking assault me, motherfcker,” as agents attempt to disengage.
The resurfaced footage has fueled criticism from conservatives and law-enforcement advocates, who argue the video contradicts portrayals of Pretti as an “innocent bystander” and raises questions about his prior interactions with federal officers. Critics say the footage shows a pattern of hostile behavior toward agents that was omitted or downplayed in cable news commentary.
Supporters of Navarro counter that the earlier incident is unrelated to the fatal encounter and does not justify the use of deadly force. Still, the video’s emergence has intensified scrutiny of how media figures characterize individuals involved in high-profile law-enforcement incidents.
As debate continues online and on cable news, the contrast between Navarro’s praise and the newly surfaced footage has become a flashpoint in the broader argument over media framing, protest culture, and accountability surrounding immigration enforcement.
