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By Andrew Stanton
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Steve Bannon called on President Donald Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota amid ongoing protests over the administration’s immigration enforcement.
He shared his thoughts in a statement to The Wall Street Journal that he also posted to conservative social media outlet Gettr.
In the statement to WSJ, Bannon said Pretti "tried to stop federal officers from performing their duty."
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"He knew exactly what he was doing and he knew the consequences," Bannon said of Pretti. "The violent domestic terrorist mob in the streets of Minneapolis needs to stand down now."
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email.
Why It Matters
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) faced heightened scrutiny over its tactics in the Minneapolis area after an agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good earlier in January. Over the weekend, a federal agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, adding to the criticism the agency is facing. Other reports about their tactics used in immigration enforcement operations, such as allegations that they have used children as "bait," have raised eyebrows.
The shooting of Pretti has drawn widespread criticism, with some Republicans calling for an investigation into and raising questions about his death. The comments from Bannon, however, reveal that many conservatives remain supportive of ICE operations despite those growing concerns.
What to Know
In the latest shooting, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says Pretti "approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun." However, videos verified by various news outlets show Pretti was holding a phone in his right hand, with nothing in his left hand before he was shot, contradicting those claims. Pretti was legally conceal-carrying a handgun at the time of his death. He was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry. Records reflect no serious criminal history, according to authorities and public records cited by local media.
Protests over ICE have continued in Minneapolis and across the country.
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Bannon also responded to Republican criticism toward ICE on his War Room podcast.
"This is the reason that we’re at this inflection point," he said. "The Republican Party has been controlled opposition for decade after decade after decade. The very people that are counseling President Trump to de-escalate are the very people that allowed this to happen."
What Is the Insurrection Act?
The Insurrection Act gives the president authority to call the U.S. military for domestic use. It has been used numerous times throughout history, including during the Civil Rights era to assist with school integration.
It was formally signed into law in 1807 but is an "amalgamation of different statutes enacted by Congress between 1792 and 1871," according to the Brennan Center for Justice. It refers to Sections 251 through 255 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code.
"Whenever there is an insurrection in any State against its government, the President may, upon the request of its legislature or of its governor if the legislature cannot be convened, call into Federal service such of the militia of the other States, in the number requested by that State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to suppress the insurrection," Section 251 reads.
The most recent use of the Insurrection Act was in 1992, when former President George H.W. Bush invoked it after four Los Angeles police officers were acquitted for beating Black motorist Rodney King, setting off days of unrest.
What Has the Trump Administration Said About the Insurrection Act?
Trump has floated the use of the Insurrection Act but has not said for sure he plans to use it.
"If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State," he wrote to Truth Social earlier in January.
Vice President JD Vance gave an update to the Insurrection Act during a speech last week.
"Right now, we don’t think that we need that," he said.
What People Are Saying
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a California Democrat, wrote to X over the weekend: "Yesterday, hundreds of thousands filled the streets of Minnesota—marching in subzero temperatures in a PEACEFUL protest. Not the excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act the President wanted. So today, Trump made a shooting happen. The President must end his violent occupation of Minnesota. NOW."
Journalist Tomi Lahren said on Fox News on Saturday: "This is not 2020 and we need to reset that precedent and President Trump, hopefully, if things get bad tonight, will consider the Insurrection Act."
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, said on CNN discussing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem: "In directing this around Mayor Frey and directing the language she was using about Governor Walz, claiming they are 'inciting,' that they’re resistance, a difference, from this administration. That their political difference in policy from this administration, she is equating disagreement with excitement. In doing so, in using the specific language and rhetoric she is using, she is laying the groundwork in alignment with what President Trump said and what White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Because she is talking about and laying the rhetorical groundwork for the Insurrection Act."
What Happens Next
The Trump administration has not formally invoked the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, but the administration’s heightened immigration enforcement continues.
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