Co-hosts of ABC’s The View delivered sharp criticism of the Trump administration on Tuesday, Jan. 27, accusing the White House of evading accountability over the killing of Alex Pretti.
Pretti was a Minneapolis nurse employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
During the broadcast, moderator Whoopi Goldberg said the administration’s response to the fatal incident and the growing public backlash amounted to political damage control rather than transparency.
“When I tell you yesterday, the White House was doing damage control on the way they handled this — they were dancing,” Goldberg said. “They were dancing around it.”
Goldberg’s remarks followed footage of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declining to endorse earlier comments by senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who had referred to Pretti as an “assassin” and a “terrorist.”
Goldberg questioned whether the administration was internally aligned on its messaging and criticized what she described as a failure to directly address the gravity of the incident.
“I don’t know what you are investigating if you are not investigating the straight-up murder…this is the second murder of an American citizen,” she said.
The panel also discussed new developments in the case, including reports that Greg Bovino, the ICE official overseeing immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, has been sidelined and is expected to retire.
Additionally, President Donald Trump reportedly held calls with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, adopting what officials described as a less confrontational tone than earlier statements.
While Walz expressed cautious optimism that federal authorities might de-escalate enforcement actions in the city, The View co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin warned that the administration appeared to be treating the situation as a communications failure rather than a systemic policy problem.
“The White House is seeing this as a messaging problem rather than a policy and execution problem,” Griffin said.
She stated that while most Americans support border security and deportation of undocumented migrants convicted of violent crimes, there is widespread opposition to tactics perceived as violating constitutional rights.
“What Americans don’t believe in is infringing on First Amendment rights, detaining citizens, warrantless entries, or killing U.S. citizens,” Griffin added, citing polling that reportedly shows only about 20 percent of Americans believe Pretti’s killing was justified.
Co-host Ana Navarro placed responsibility squarely on President Trump, arguing that what began as a targeted operation had escalated into what she described as the “occupation and terrorizing” of Minneapolis.
“Donald Trump owns this,” Navarro said, pointing to images circulating online of aggressive enforcement actions, including the detention of children and alleged racial profiling.
She praised Minneapolis residents for continuing to protest despite freezing temperatures and called for a full, independent investigation, as well as the removal of senior federal officials involved.
Navarro also addressed First Lady Melania Trump, who had issued a public call for peace, saying such appeals ring hollow without concrete action, including the withdrawal of federal agents and accountability for those involved.
Meanwhile, co-host Sunny Hostin said she was encouraged that local prosecutors are reviewing the case for potential state-level charges — a move that could limit presidential pardon powers.
Sara Haines closed the segment by urging viewers to protect their mental health amid constant exposure to distressing news, encouraging civic engagement at the local level as a way to effect change.
The killing of Alex Pretti has sparked sustained protests across Minnesota and intensified national debate over federal immigration enforcement, civil liberties, and the limits of executive power.
