The Republican establishment is getting weak knees.
They want to cut and run on Trump's agenda.
And Trey Gowdy committed one sickening act of betrayal against Trump.
Trey Gowdy threw Trump under the bus on Fox News
Former South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy went on Fox News and parroted Democrat talking points about the shooting of leftist agitator Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Border Patrol agents shot and killed Pretti on January 24 after he attacked federal immigration enforcement operations.
The media immediately portrayed Pretti as an innocent ICU nurse gunned down for exercising his First Amendment right to protest.
Democrats who spent years trying to ban guns suddenly discovered the Second Amendment when a leftist got shot.
Gowdy fell for the hoax hook, line, and sinker.
He attacked Trump's immigration enforcement by comparing Pretti to Kyle Rittenhouse.
"You remember Kyle Rittenhouse and how he was made a hero on the right," Gowdy told Fox News. "I'm sure there are people on the conservative side who are saying 'wait a minute, you mean you can't take a firearm to a protest? Because you were just celebrating a guy for doing it a couple of years ago.'"
Gowdy claimed Pretti was lawfully carrying a firearm and "never brandished it."
That's a lie.
Video catches Gowdy red-handed spreading fake news
New footage released exposed Gowdy as either a fool or a liar.
The News Movement published video from January 13 showing Pretti attacking federal immigration agents 11 days before he was killed.
Pretti was caught on camera spitting at officers, screaming "you're f***ing trash," and kicking out the taillight of their vehicle.
When agents tried to detain him, Pretti physically fought them before slipping away.
A gun was clearly visible in his waistband.
https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2016661993671811210
CNN reported Pretti suffered a broken rib in that earlier confrontation.
He kept coming back for more violent clashes with federal agents.
By January 24, agents knew exactly who they were dealing with.
The man who defended Trump during impeachment just stabbed him in the back
This is the same Trey Gowdy who served as Trump's attorney during his first impeachment.
Gowdy stood next to Trump when Democrats were trying to destroy his presidency over a phone call.
Now Trump is finally securing the border and deporting criminal illegal aliens.
And Gowdy attacks him on Fox News using Democrat talking points.
The moment the New York Times editorial board turned on Trump over Minneapolis, Gowdy folded.
He'd rather sound reasonable to Manhattan liberals than defend the President who trusted him.
Gowdy knows the difference between self-defense and assaulting cops
Rittenhouse carried a rifle to defend businesses in Kenosha, Wisconsin after Democrats let Black Lives Matter terrorists burn the city.
He only fired after a mob attacked him and tried to murder him.
One of the men he shot turned out to be a convicted pedophile.
A jury acquitted Rittenhouse on all charges.
Pretti spent weeks attacking federal officers on camera.
Without his ID during the fatal encounter, carrying that concealed weapon was illegal under Minnesota law.
And he didn't just carry a gun — he physically obstructed agents conducting lawful immigration enforcement.
That's not exercising Second Amendment rights.
That's assaulting federal officers.
Republicans panic when the going gets tough
Gowdy's betrayal is part of a larger pattern.
A Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota dropped out of the race over the shooting.
Even Texas Governor Greg Abbott called for ICE to "recalibrate" its operations.
The Wall Street Journal and New York Post editorial boards turned on Trump over Minneapolis.
The GOP establishment sees the polling and wants Trump to back down.
They'd rather lose on immigration than risk their comfortable seats in Congress.
This is why Trump voters don't trust the Republican Party.
The moment Democrats and their media allies turn up the heat, Republicans fold.
Gowdy rushed to attack Trump without knowing the full story.
The very next day, the January 13 video came out showing Pretti spitting at officers, destroying government property, and physically fighting agents.
Everything Gowdy said on Fox News was exposed as garbage within 24 hours.
A real leader would have waited for all the facts before stabbing Trump in the back.
But Gowdy was too eager to sound reasonable to his Fox colleagues.
Trump is doing exactly what voters elected him to do.
And Trey Gowdy just proved he won't stand with Trump when the media turns up the heat.
Sources:
- Media Matters for America, "Fox's Trey Gowdy points out double standard of defending Kyle Rittenhouse and criticizing Alex Pretti," January 27, 2026.
- The Daily Wire, "Alex Pretti Attacked Immigration Enforcement Days Before Fatal Shooting, Video Shows," January 28, 2026.
- Fox News, "Video appears to show Alex Pretti spit at federal agents, violently damage SUV days before fatal CBP shooting," January 29, 2026.
- CBS News, "Video shows Alex Pretti in scuffle with federal agents 11 days before his death," January 28, 2026.
- TIME Magazine, "Support for Abolishing ICE Is Surging Among Republicans," January 27, 2026.
- Fox News, "Trump ICE shootings in Minneapolis hurt Republicans in midterm elections," January 27, 2026.
