He's responding (I am guessing) to this blog post from late January.
In that post, I reposted how The New York Times described the killing of Alex Pretti. At the bottom, I asked:
Have our two US Senators (Senator John Fetterman and Senator Dave McCormick) denounced the government's killing of Alex Pretti yet?
Ask them if they will be making such a statement and if they won't, ask them why not.
I sent the link to that blog post to both senators for their comments.
Nothing yet from Senator Fetterman.
This is how Senator McCormick responded:
As you know, on January 24, 2026, Mr. Pretti was fatally shot by U.S. federal agents during an immigration operation in Minneapolis. The incident is currently under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to preliminary reports, two federal agents discharged their weapons, and both have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death.
I stand with the ICE and Border Patrol officers who risk their lives daily to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law. Law enforcement officers face extraordinary challenges, which are often compounded by inflammatory rhetoric in this case by Minnesota’s elected officials that escalates tensions and endangers both officers and the public, as we have seen in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Mr. Pretti.
With regard to the Alex Pretti shooting, I have called for a full and transparent investigation into these tragic events to ensure facts are uncovered and made public. It is essential that these operations are conducted in a way that protects public safety and maintains trust and that we learn and get better from such tragic events. I also agree with the National Rifle Association (NRA) that simply exercising one’s Second Amendment rights does not in itself justify the shooting.
Take a look at that second paragraph - how it's the "inflammatory rhetoric" that "escalates tensions and endangers" both the officers and the public.
But (as is obvious to anyone who watched the killing of Alex Pretti) that it's the ICE/DHS officers who have actually killed US citizens. To divert any of the blame to "Minnesota's elected officials" is simply irresponsible.
He's posted this before:
As I have often said, I support the Border Patrol, ICE, and the critical work they do to enforce our laws. Irresponsible rhetoric and a lack of cooperation from Minnesota’s politicians are fueling a dangerous situation.
— Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) January 25, 2026
I also agree with the NRA and others — we need a full…
But there are also issues with the investigation that the senator omits.
He states that the killing is "currently under investigation" by DHS (so in this instance DHS is investigating itself - a huge conflict of interest) and that "the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) [has] opened a civil rights investigation" as well.
And let's remember what the Trump administration has done to that division of DOJ:
Since President Trump was inaugurated, the Justice Department has driven out approximately 75% of attorneys from the Civil Rights Division. It’s also radically scaled back enforcement of the nation’s civil rights laws and constitutional protections.
So, there's that...
The Senator's email to me:
