Former President Joe Biden has broken his public silence to deliver a powerful condemnation of recent fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, directly criticising the Trump administration for actions he says betray America's "most basic values."
Biden's Strong Statement on Constitutional Rights
The 82-year-old former president, who has maintained a low public profile since revealing his prostate cancer diagnosis last year, issued a detailed statement on social media platform X regarding the killings of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti and 37-year-old mother of three Renee Nicole Good.
"We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street," Biden wrote emphatically. "We are not a nation that allows our citizens to be brutalized for exercising their constitutional rights. We are not a nation that tramples the 4th Amendment and tolerates our neighbors being terrorized."
Call for Full Investigations
Biden joined fellow former Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton in demanding "full, fair and transparent investigations" into both incidents that occurred this month in Minneapolis. The former president specifically addressed the shooting of Alex Pretti, who was killed by federal agents on Saturday, and Renee Nicole Good, who died on January 7th after an encounter with immigration enforcement officers.
"Violence and terror have no place in the United States of America, especially when it's our own government targeting American citizens," Biden asserted in his statement.
Direct Criticism of Trump Administration
Biden's remarks contained pointed criticism of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement policies, stating that Minnesotans "have suffered enough at the hands of this Administration." He praised Minnesota residents for "helping community members in unimaginable circumstances, speaking out against injustice when they see it, and holding our government accountable to the people."
In what appeared to be a direct message to President Trump, Biden wrote: "No single person can destroy what America stands for and believes in, not even a President, if we — all of America — stand up and speak out."
Contradictory Accounts of Shootings
The circumstances surrounding both shootings remain contested. Trump administration officials have claimed agents fired "defensively" against Pretti, who was legally armed and allegedly "violently" resisting officers. However, bystander footage appears to show Pretti holding only a mobile phone at the time of the shooting.
Regarding Renee Nicole Good's death, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed officers were forced to fire because Good "engaged in domestic terrorism" and allegedly rammed her vehicle into officers while leaving the scene — accounts that have been disputed by witnesses and family members.
Political Fallout and Public Response
When questioned about Pretti's death on Tuesday, President Trump expressed sympathy for the nurse's family but placed responsibility on Pretti for bringing a firearm to the protest. "You can't walk in with guns," Trump told reporters, without addressing questions about Second Amendment rights to bear arms.
The twin shootings have intensified anti-ICE protests across Minneapolis and throughout the United States, with Pretti's family and Democratic lawmakers challenging the Trump administration's version of events. Biden concluded his statement with a call to action: "We know who we are. It's time to show the world. More importantly, it's time to show ourselves."
The former president's re-emergence into public political discourse marks a significant development, coming nearly a year after his cancer diagnosis was revealed and amidst growing national controversy over immigration enforcement tactics.
