Minneapolis attorney Chris Madel, seen speaking in Minneapolis on Dec. 1, 2025, on Monday ended his 2026 Republican bid for Minnesota governor. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials initially said Pretti, who was legally armed with a handgun, was threatening agents, who they say fired in self-defense. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem labeled the actions of Pretti as "domestic terrorism" and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called him a "would-be assassin."
But videos of the shooting seem to indicate Pretti was brandishing a cell phone rather than his handgun, with federal agents appearing to secure Pretti's weapon moments before he was shot multiple times.
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The fatal shooting has further inflamed political tensions in Minnesota and across the country over aggressive efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Border Patrol and other federal agencies to enforce President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, at a news conference at the Minnesota State Capitol on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minnesota, announces he's dropping his 2026 re-election bid. (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
Madel, a veteran trial lawyer, spotlighted his high-profile fraud cases as he campaigned for governor.
He was one of nearly a dozen candidates vying for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, in a field that also includes Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth and state Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the Minnesota House’s Fraud Prevention and Oversight Committee.
And in his announcement that he was dropping his bid, he took aim at some of his primary rivals, charging that "our government has failed us. Republicans and Democrats."
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A longshot when he entered the race late last year, Madel seemed to be picking up support.
"Since I announced my candidacy on Dec. 1, I am extremely proud of what we've accomplished. I started as a relative unknown candidate and emerged as a leading Republican contender in less than two months," he touted in his Monday announcement.
But while Madel had in recent years represented Alpha News, a conservative Minnesota news outlet, and had written opinion pieces for them, he faced a challenge in winning over MAGA supporters and some conservatives in the state, due in part to his past political contributions to Democrats, including to Walz.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., has taken the first steps towards launching a 2026 gubernatorial campaign in Minnesota. (David Swanson/Reuters)
Last week, longtime Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar made her first move ahead of likely launching a 2026 race for governor in her home state, as she filed preliminary paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board.
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But Madel said Klobuchar's move was not a factor in his decision to end his bid for governor.
"I'm not withdrawing my candidacy because of any existing or new entrant in the race, and that includes Sen. Klobuchar," he emphasized.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/minnesota-republican-drops-governor-bid-blasts-party-over-federal-retribution-after-pretti-killing