Newly surfaced video out of Minneapolis this week showed Alex Pretti kicking out the tail light of federal agents’ car nearly two weeks before he was killed by ICE. For the hosts of “The View,” it changes nothing about his case, especially if viewers just “used your brain.”
To kick off the day’s Hot Topics, the ABC hosts watched footage of Pretti protesting ICE agents in Minneapolis 11 days before he was killed by the organization. In it, Pretti is seen kicking the tail light of one of the agents’ cars, and spitting on the men. Moderator Whoopi Goldberg’s question for the morning was whether or not the video will continue to be weaponized by the Trump administration against Pretti, to defend his killing.
“I think if you used your brain, you recognize that not only did it happen 11 days prior, but no deserved to be shot at all, let alone ten times,” host Sara Haines immediately said. “So I don’t think this video changes anything, if you’re being honest with yourself and not just putting on a narrative or a jersey.”
Haines then reminded viewers that immigration was one of the main issues that President Trump ran and won on, and something his administration has put a lot of money into. And yet, ICE’s actions are “killing his approval ratings.” So, she suggested Trump take even a little bit of the money and try spending it on affordable housing, child care, healthcare and more.
Host Alyssa Farah Griffin agreed that the video doesn’t change anything about Pretti’s killing, except for possibly making ICE look even worse now.
“This new footage doesn’t in any way change the fundamental facts of the case,” she said. “If anything, it actually shows that Alex Pretti could be immobilized by law enforcement without having to shoot him ten times.”
The host noted that she personally does not support what Pretti actually did in the footage, but that doesn’t matter.
“His personality, his decisions are not germane to the fact that 11 days later, for a completely different altercation, he was shot ten times after his weapon was removed from him,” she said.
“The View” airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.