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By Jordan King
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John Mitnick, who served as general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during the first Trump administration, called for Congress to impeach and remove President Donald Trump after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.
"I am enraged and embarrassed by DHS’s lawlessness, fascism, and cruelty," Mitnick said in a post on X. "Impeach and remove Trump—now."
Newsweek has contacted the White House, via email outside of normal working hours, for a response, as well as Draganfly Inc., the company Mitnick is chairman of, for comment on his behalf.
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Why It Matters
The public call for impeachment by a former senior DHS lawyer who worked under Trump underscores the criticism coming from different circles over the administration’s immigration operations in Minnesota, which have sparked protests and prompted clashes over investigative authority.
The development also intersected with high-stakes negotiations in Washington, where Democrats have threatened to block funding for DHS as lawmakers confronted a looming deadline, amplifying the political consequences of the Minneapolis shooting.
What To Know
Mitnick said in his post: "I helped to establish DHS in 2002 and 2003 and later had the homeland security portfolio as a White House Counsel and served as General Counsel of the Department. I am enraged and embarrassed by DHS’s lawlessness, fascism, and cruelty. Impeach and remove Trump—now."
Mitnick served as DHS general counsel from February 2018 to September 2019 under President Trump and previously worked on homeland security legal matters in the George W. Bush administration; he endorsed Joe Biden in 2020 alongside other former Republican officials.
His remarks came in response to a lengthy post by the lawyer George Conway, who often criticizes Trump, saying the killing of Pretti was "a straight-up execution of a protester by Trump's federal brownshirts."
"Trump's militarization of Minneapolis and other parts of our nation isn't about illegal immigration," Conway said. "It's not about enhancing public safety. It's about destroying any sense of that safety—to intimidate political opponents, and to punish dissent."
Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, died after a U.S. Border Patrol agent opened fire during a DHS immigration operation on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis; DHS said officers fired "defensive shots" after a man with a handgun approached them and "violently resisted."
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said officials believed Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, while bystander videos circulating online did not clearly show a weapon in his hand at the time shots were fired.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti arrived to "impede a law enforcement operation" and questioned why he was armed, without specifying whether he brandished a weapon; federal officials said the agent involved is an eight-year veteran.
President Trump defended the operation on Truth Social and accused Minnesota leaders of hampering law enforcement, urging Americans to "LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!"
What People Are Saying
George Conway said in a post on X: "The deadly shooting in Minneapolis today was a straight-up execution of a protester by Trump's federal brownshirts. The thugs wrestled him to the ground. They pistol-whipped him, then shot him multiple times. They murdered him.
"The videos don't lie. A man is dead, killed in cold blood. There is no conceivable justification for this intentional homicide. And make no mistake, that intentional, unjustified homicide was committed on behalf of Donald J. Trump.
"Trump's militarization of Minneapolis and other parts of our nation isn't about illegal immigration. It's not about enhancing public safety. It's about destroying any sense of that safety—to intimidate political opponents, and to punish dissent. It's about a corrupt, out-of-control regime's effort to provoke citizens in order to justify the violence it desires to commit against them so that it can expand and retain its power.
"That is fascism. It is tyranny. It is governmental criminality. And the ultimate legal check the Framers of our Constitution provided to stop this kind of tyranny and criminality in the executive branch is impeachment and removal of the executive. Congress needs to do its job."
President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social: "Much of what you’re witnessing is a COVER UP for this Theft and Fraud. The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric! Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America."
Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on X: "Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now."
What Happens Next
Minnesota officials said the state intends to lead the investigation, but jurisdictional disputes with federal agencies remain unresolved, while further protests are expected.
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