On his primetime show Finnerty, Rob Finnerty called out a growing and dangerous trend on the right: Republicans publicly turning on Republicans instead of standing shoulder to shoulder where it matters most. Finnerty argued this infighting is playing right into the hands of Democrats and a hostile media that wants nothing more than to see the GOP implode over messaging and process. Conservatives who care about results must hear that warning and take it seriously before our house is torn down from within.
What happened in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026, is tragic and must be treated with the seriousness it deserves: Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA intensive care nurse and licensed gun owner, was shot and killed during a federal immigration enforcement operation. Video and eyewitness accounts have raised serious questions about the official timeline and the claim that he posed an imminent threat, so Americans have every right to demand a full, transparent accounting. A nation that supports law enforcement also insists on accountability when the facts are murky and a life has been lost.
Rather than reflexively tearing each other down, Republicans have a duty to lead from principle: defend the rule of law, defend the right to bear arms, and demand due process for both citizens and the officers who serve. Many in our party have broken ranks and called for investigations and accountability after Pretti’s death, a sign that this is not a simple partisan talking point but a moment of conscience for some lawmakers. Those voices—Pence, Rand Paul, Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski, and others—aren’t all on one side of the aisle, but they are insisting that facts matter and that heavy-handed federal tactics deserve scrutiny.
Still, Rob Finnerty was right to warn conservatives about public self-destruction. We can and should demand answers without handing the narrative and moral high ground to the left. Infighting on cable news and on social media helps Democrats frame every misstep as proof that our entire approach to border enforcement is illegitimate, and that is simply false. A proud conservative movement supports secure borders and robust enforcement, but it also understands that legitimacy comes from transparency, training, and restraint.
Republicans who rush to demonize agents or who openly congratulate the enemy when footage looks bad are playing partisan theater at the expense of real reform. The proper conservative response is threefold: insist on full cooperation with a proper investigation, protect the men and women who enforce the law when they act lawfully, and fix training and oversight where failures are found. That balance defends both liberty and order, and it is what wins elections and preserves the republic.
Make no mistake: the left will use every tragic moment to bludgeon Americans into submission on immigration policy while refusing to hold their own allies to account for open borders. Conservatives must not allow their legitimate anger and grief to fragment into public self-sabotage. We should channel that energy into legislative fixes, hearings that demand real answers from DHS and CBP, and a public narrative that insists on both secure borders and the sanctity of innocent life.
Patriots who believe in America ought to be louder than the chaos. Stand for law and order, yes, but stand harder for truth and transparency. If Republicans want to govern, now is the time to prove we can defend our principles without becoming our own worst enemy.
