Melania Trump made a rare political statement on the morning of 27 January, calling for unity following recent shootings and unrest in Minnesota. The first lady spoke after a series of violent incidents involving federal immigration agents. On Saturday, Alex Pretti was shot by a federal immigration agent, with the Department of Homeland Security saying the officer fired in self-defence. This followed the fatal shooting of Renee Good earlier this month, after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot her while she was sitting in her car. Speaking on Fox & Friends while promoting her new movie, Melania said she was against violence and urged protesters to remain peaceful, stressing the importance of calm during a tense period for the country.

Public political comments from Melania are uncommon, particularly on issues connected to her husband, President Donald Trump, or his administration. During the interview, she referenced the president’s response to the unrest, saying he had spoken with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. According to Melania, the leaders agreed to work together to restore calm and prevent riots. She said the US needed to unify during the ongoing unrest. Trump later described the calls as “very good” and agreed to pull some federal immigration officers from Minnesota as tensions continued across the state.