Claimed Pretti was an “assassin” looking to “murder federal agents,” “inflict harm,” or “do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement” (Miller, Bovino, Noem). None of this is true based on the evidence we have now, and the administration has presented no proof of this motive, except that he had a firearm and ammunition on his body.

Donald Trump has said that he does not think Alex Pretti was “an assassin”, contradicting claims made by his own vice-president.