Vance Refuses to Apologize Over ICE 'Murderer' Remark

US Vice President JD Vance refused to apologize to the family of Alexander Pretty, who died in a shooting involving ICE agents. According to media reports, Vance said he would wait for the results of the investigation before making any statements.

Earlier, he supported a social media post from White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who called Pretty a «murderer who tried to kill federal agents.» The incident occurred on January 24, when the man came to ICE agents with a loaded pistol.

When asked whether he would apologize for repeating Miller«s words, Vance sharply replied: »For what?« He emphasized that one should not anticipate the findings of the investigation. »If the investigation finds that whoever shot Alexander Pretty did something wrong, there will be consequences. We will let that happen,« he explained.

Later, Miller reportedly softened his statements after President Donald Trump disagreed with the term «murderer.» However, Trump criticized Pretty for carrying a weapon during the confrontation with officers.

Miller also stated that the Customs and Border Protection team may not have followed established procedures, hinting that the error may have been on the side of the agents, not Pretty. He noted that the White House gave clear instructions to use additional agents to create a barrier between those making arrests and protesters.

Vance, a graduate of Yale Law School, said he would not prejudge the guilt of the ICE agents involved in the shooting. «I will not anticipate events. Everyone deserves the presumption of innocence in the American justice system,» he said.

Later, a video emerged showing Pretty, 11 days before his death, spitting on officers and smashing the headlights of their car, contradicting the image of an innocent victim. The footage also shows he was armed.

Vance called for waiting for the investigation to determine whether the agents had reasonable fear of Pretty and whether their actions were lawful.

Comments on the news were divided. Some supported Vance, agreeing that there was nothing to apologize for. Others criticized him, calling him a «first-class boor» and claiming that the vice president «has a lot of anger issues, and it shows.» One user noted that Vance was right not to apologize but could have expressed regret over the situation.