First Lady Melania Trump stepped into the political fray Tuesday with an unusually direct message, urging calm and restraint as Minnesota continues to grapple with unrest tied to federal immigration enforcement and two deadly encounters. Speaking on Fox & Friends while promoting her upcoming movie, Melania struck a tone that was notably sober and conciliatory.
“I’m against the violence, so please, if you protest, protest in peace,” she said, a straightforward appeal that stood in contrast to the increasingly heated rhetoric surrounding the protests. The first lady, who emigrated to the United States from Slovenia, rarely comments publicly on her husband’s policies or active political controversies. That made her remarks all the more striking, particularly as she emphasized cooperation rather than confrontation.
Melania pointed to what she described as a “great call” President Donald Trump held Monday with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats. According to her, the focus of those conversations was restoring order and preventing further violence. “They’re working together to make it peaceful and without riots,” she said, underscoring a message of coordination that has been largely overshadowed by partisan conflict.
🚨Melania Trump dropping a powerful call for UNITY amid the chaos in Minnesota and across the country!
While leftist mobs try to tear everything apart, terrorizing federal agents and turning streets into war zones… our First Lady steps up with grace!pic.twitter.com/a3t7DMn5hs
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 27, 2026
Her comments come as Minnesota remains a national flashpoint following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a VA nurse, during an anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis. Video from the scene shows Pretti surrounded by federal agents and disarmed of a holstered handgun before being shot.
The killing occurred just over two weeks after another high-profile incident in which poet Renee Good was shot and killed after video showed her vehicle accelerating toward a federal agent while she was blocking a street during a protest. Both incidents were captured on camera and have fueled sharply divergent interpretations, largely along political lines.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has taken an aggressive stance, publicly labeling Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” a characterization that has drawn scrutiny even within the administration.
While President Trump quickly defended the agent involved in Good’s death, he has taken a more measured approach in the Pretti case, instead signaling an operational shift. On Monday, he announced that border czar Tom Homan would take over immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.
Subsequent reporting suggests internal tension over the administration’s response. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s deputy, Todd Blanche, notably walked back the terrorism label, calling Pretti’s death a tragedy and emphasizing the need to review all available evidence.
