Washington DC - Multiple gun rights organizations have shared their reaction to President Donald Trump defending the killing of Alex Pretty, a legal gun owner, by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis.

In a new interview with Politico, Dudley Brown, the president of the National Association for Gun Rights, slammed FBI Director Kash Patel, who argued that protesters "cannot bring a firearm... to any sort of protest."

"The FBI director needs to brush off that thing called the Constitution, because he clearly hasn’t read it," Brown said.

"I know of no more crucial place to carry a firearm for self-defense than a protest."

Bill Essayli, the acting US attorney for the Central District of California, also received pushback from groups after he shared an X post suggesting that Pretti approached officers with his weapon, which "legally justified" them firing at him.

In response, the National Rifle Association, the country's biggest gun lobby and a longtime ally to Trump, called Essayli's comments "dangerous and wrong."

The group urged him to await a proper investigation instead of "making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens."

Aidan Johnston, the director of federal affairs for Gun Owners of America, also described the remarks as "absolutely unacceptable," arguing Essayli made them even though he "didn't know all the facts."

Over the weekend, Pretti became the second Minnesota resident to be killed by federal agents after he attempted to protect a woman from being pepper-sprayed.

As a group of agents wrestled Pretti to the ground, one agent was seen stripping him of a handgun that was holstered at his waist, followed by another firing several rounds in Pretti's back.

The Trump administration quickly responded by insisting – without evidence – that Pretti, who worked as an ICU nurse, intended to commit violence against agents.

Bryan Strawser, chair of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, told Politico that the administration's narrative isn't lining up with "what is on video," as footage shows that Pretti was carrying his cell phone and never drew his weapon.

Still, Strawser said he hopes the incident "has helped move the needle" on conversations about protecting the right to bear arms.

Gun rights advocates have supported Trump for years, as he regularly touts himself as a staunch pro-gun president.

Notably, the groups that spoke out against the Trump administration have largely refused to criticize the president himself and still support his narrative that Pretti was impeding federal agents.