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The death of Alex Pretti on January 24 in Minneapolis was a gut punch to any American who believes in both civil order and the rule of law. Video that circulated online shows a chaotic scene during an anti-ICE protest that ended with Border Patrol agents firing and Pretti dying, the second deadly confrontation in the city this month after the killing of Renée Good earlier in January. This is not abstract policy talk — these are human lives and communities ripped apart on our streets.
What should have been a sober, fact-based investigation has instead been drowned out by partisan noise and mob theatrics, and the resulting public fury was predictable given the imagery and conflicting official accounts. Minneapolis erupted into mass demonstrations and a political feeding frenzy almost immediately, with local leaders and national media rushing to pronounce guilt before investigations could conclude. That rush to judgment fuels division and endangers the very civil discourse we need to get to the facts.
Worse, established left-wing organizations and Democratic infrastructure wasted no time turning this tragedy into a money grab. Emails and solicitations circulated urging donations to groups organizing on the ground in Minnesota, and MoveOn publicly called on members to give to TakeAction Minnesota to “show up” for protesters and organizers. When every death becomes a line item in a fundraising ledger, our politics has become a mercenary industry rather than a vehicle for justice or healing.
The transactional ugliness didn’t stop with mainstream advocacy groups. Reports surfaced of a Democratic Youth Wave PAC text solicit that explicitly referenced Alex Pretti and sought donations within hours of the shooting, a message that was later pulled after public backlash. That sort of reflexive monetization — soliciting dollars while the body is still warm and investigations are underway — is grotesque and beneath the dignity of public life.
Democratic leaders have predictably used the turmoil to take a hard political line, even threatening to block homeland security funding in the wake of these events. This political grandstanding puts partisan theater ahead of sober policy debate and risks leaving Americans less safe while Washington politicians posture for headlines. Citizens should demand that lawmakers prioritize oversight, transparency, and public safety instead of weaponizing tragedy for leverage.
It’s also telling that radical groups with far-left agendas are front-and-center in the mobilization, working alongside mainstream Democratic organizations to amplify unrest and pressure officials. That fusion of establishment money and street-level agitation is exactly what creates the combustible environment where confrontations escalate and innocent bystanders — including everyday working Americans — get hurt. We should be skeptical of any coalition that elevates chaos as a political tactic.
Americans of every political stripe deserve a thorough, independent investigation and accountability where appropriate, but they also deserve leaders who will calm crowds rather than cash in on them. Hardworking citizens want order, due process, and effective reforms — not perpetual outrage that funds into the hands of activists and PACs. It’s time for common-sense oversight, protection for lawful enforcement officers acting under clear rules, and a rejection of the cynical fundraising machinery that treats tragedy as opportunity.
