After the death of Alex Pretti a month ago at the hands of six ICE agents, and amid the chaos surrounding the Epstein files and countless other events in the American political world, the Trump administration’s corruption and incompetence is right in front of our faces.

While America’s focus shifts to the conflict in the Middle East, it remains equally important to remember what has happened at home. Silence is not an option, and calling out this behavior is an obligation.

The shooting of Alex Pretti was completely unjustified. He was armed with a legally carried gun, and video evidence along with witness accounts indicate he never brandished it at agents. At one point, an agent removed the firearm before shots were fired, but despite this, Pretti was shot and killed amid the confrontation. His death should not be forgotten.

Despite efforts by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to label Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and then–Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino’s claim that he aimed to “massacre law enforcement,” Pretti was simply a protester exercising his second amendment right on the day of the shooting.

Furthermore, the administration failed to provide evidence supporting its claim that Pretti intended to do harm.

President Donald Trump also commented on the situation, saying, “He had a gun. I don’t like that.” His statement was hypocritical given that he has advocated for minimal gun control. In fact, even some conservative gun rights activists expressed displeasure with his remark.

The National Rifle Association, one of the most conservative gun rights organizations in the country, issued a statement defending the second amendment in response to Trump, saying that the NRA “unequivocally believes that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they have a legal right to be.”

The administration’s handling of Alex Pretti’s murder shows how they are willing to say and do anything to cover for their interests, in this case denying and deflecting undeniable video footage. By doing this, they are lying to the faces of Americans, and one can only hope that chargers will end up being filed against the ICE agent who fatally shot Pretti. With Kash Patel’s Right-Wing FBI handling the case, however, this is unlikely.

This incident is only one among many of ICE’s lawlessness and recklessness under Trump’s administration. This is no longer an issue of immigration, but rather, American freedom.

Unfortunately, the administration’s handling of Pretti’s murder is just one example of the erasure of bipartisanship in our government. Under Kash Patel, the FBI has simply been a tool for Trump’s interests, a theme that was clear from the beginning.

During a late 2023 interview with Steve Bannon at the height of Trump’s campaign trail, Patel stated that he would “go out and find the conspirators, not just in the government, but in the media.” He went even further, saying that he will come after them whether “criminally or civilly.”

However, his most alarming statement was that he would come after the people who “helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections.” Since he is pushing the false narrative that the 2020 election was rigged in favor of Joe Biden, the chances are concerningly high that innocent people are implicated in his pursuit against anti-trump “conspirators.”

This is proving to be true, because on January 28 of this year, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the Fulton County Election Office near Atlanta to obtain 2020 election records. The FBI’s recent raid is a clear demonstration of the increasingly undemocratic desires of Trump’s administration, as his political falsehoods are actively being implemented into our country’s law and order.

Trump has also repeatedly flirted with the idea of running for a third term, most recently saying in October, “I guess I’m not allowed to run. So, we’ll see what happens.”

Trump saying that we will “see what happens” is not a great way of removing any suspicion, but it is unlikely that removing suspicion was ever his goal. Earlier this month, Trump’s administration called for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to rename Washington Dulles International Airport and New York’s Penn Station after Trump, in exchange for federal funding for a $16 billion infrastructure project.

This request is very alarming, as our president is withholding basic federal funding as a means to glorify his image. Trump’s priority was never to serve the American people, but rather, to solidify his legacy.

It is also important to not just put the spotlight on Trump, but rather, his whole administration. Recently, Attorney General Pam Bondi displayed pure corruption and dishonesty at a congressional hearing relating to the Epstein files. Instead of being a representative of American Justice as her role requires, she has only tried to protect Epstein’s co-conspirators.

When faced with questions from both Democrat and Republican lawmakers, she constantly resorted to deflection and personal insults. An example of this was her exchange with representative Thomas Massie (R-KY). The representative called out the Department of Justice’s mishandling of the case, particularly the DOJ’s failure to redact the names of survivors while hiding the identities of Epstein’s co-conspirators.

However, when he asked Bondi who would be held accountable for these mistakes, she said that Massie’s statements were “a political joke,” that Massie has “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” and that he is a “failed politician.”

In that same hearing, representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) asked Epstein survivors to stand up and raise their hand if they have not been able to meet with Department of Justice under the current administration, to which all survivors both stood up and raised their hands.

Jayapal then asked Bondi to turn around and apologize to the survivors for what the DOJ has put them through, but not only did Bondi refuse to apologize, she refused to even look at them and instead faced in the opposite direction. She then told the chair that she would not “get in the gutter” for Jayapal’s “theatrics.”

Jayapal then proceeded to call out the whole case for what it was: A massive cover-up at the hands of the Trump administration. Additionally, the Department of Justice released naked images of Epstein survivors, and in many cases, the survivors were identifiable.

Even though the Department of Justice was given a clear task to hide the identities of survivors before the files were released, they completely failed to do so.

At the hearing, only one person was using “theatrics,” and it was Pam Bondi herself, who, with her constant name-calling and dishonesty, made a fool out of our Justice System.

Just over a year into Trump’s presidency, not only is our government’s bipartisan nature being erased, but our government is also shifting towards authoritarianism. What happens to America now? The choice is up to the American people. As stated earlier, one has an obligation to speak up.

The point of this article is not to say, “Liberals are good, Conservatives are bad,” as this is not at all an issue of the political spectrum. Rather, Democrats and Republicans, and Liberals and Conservatives must come together peacefully to defend our country’s principles.

Thankfully, this is happening today. Americans from across the political spectrum, including many formerly staunch Trump supporters and even right-wing influencers, are refusing to comply with the administration’s failures and wrongdoings. True American patriots, whether liberal or conservative, are united by one common interest: Our desire for freedom.

One politician who should be applauded is Thomas Massie, who, as a conservative Republican, has not been afraid to speak against the words, actions and policies of the Trump administration. Government officials, remember that you do not work for your party, but rather, our country.

Hopefully, this message expands beyond this article into Washington D.C., and change is brought to our current administration and government.