Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo found herself on the defensive Friday after Democratic Representative Ro Khanna invoked the Second Amendment during a heated exchange about federal immigration agents shooting and killing American citizens.
The confrontation occurred during an interview on February 27, 2026, when Bartiromo questioned why Democratic lawmakers remained seated during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. Trump had asked members of Congress to stand in support of his statement that protecting American citizens should take priority over undocumented immigrants. When most Democrats stayed in their seats, Trump called them “crazy.”
Khanna, a California Democrat, rejected Bartiromo’s premise that his colleagues prioritize undocumented immigrants over Americans. He explained that Democrats objected to how Trump’s mass deportation operations have been conducted, specifically citing the deaths of several American citizens at the hands of federal immigration agents.
The Fox Business host defended the federal agents, referencing the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who had been filming federal agents during a January 24 protest in Minneapolis. Pretti was shot dead by two Customs and Border Protection agents after they tackled him to the ground.
“I think if an ICE agent feels a threat and feels that he or she and his team is under threat by having someone who’s armed, clearly armed with a gun on his belt, interrupt him, then he’s going to shoot,” Bartiromo said. “And they’re trained to kill.”
Khanna fired back, invoking fundamental constitutional protections that conservatives typically champion. The congressman reminded Bartiromo that possessing a firearm is a constitutional right under the Second Amendment—a right frequently defended on her own network.
“But Maria, I mean even in this country we have a Second Amendment, you can’t say that any person who shows up with a gun, simply by doing that at an event, can be shot to death!” Khanna said.
Bartiromo struggled to conceal the shock on her face and stammered as she tried to recover, insisting that Pretti had previously been seen “antagonizing” agents.
Khanna pressed his advantage, noting that even if Pretti had harassed federal agents, such behavior would not justify capital punishment. He emphasized the concept of proportional use of force in law enforcement, a standard principle in police training across the country.
When Bartiromo responded with an uncertain “Uhh…” and continued defending the agents’ actions, Khanna delivered his closing argument about constitutional rights and civil liberties.
The representative’s invocation of the Second Amendment highlighted a glaring contradiction in Bartiromo’s position. Conservative media personalities and Republican politicians regularly defend gun rights as sacrosanct, yet the Fox Business host appeared willing to accept that merely possessing a firearm in the presence of federal agents could justify lethal force.
The broader context of the exchange centers on growing concerns about Trump’s immigration enforcement operations. Pretti was the second U.S. citizen killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in January 2026, following the death of 37-year-old Renee Good on January 7. The killings sparked widespread protests and bipartisan calls for investigation.
Alex Pretti’s case has become particularly controversial. The ICU nurse, who worked at a Veterans Affairs medical center, was filming federal agents and directing traffic when he was pepper-sprayed and tackled to the ground by multiple officers. Video evidence reviewed by multiple news outlets shows an agent removed a handgun from Pretti’s waistband before two agents opened fire, shooting him multiple times as he lay face-down on the street.
Critics argue that if law enforcement can justify killing armed citizens simply for being present at protests or other public events, it effectively nullifies Second Amendment protections. Supporters of gun rights have traditionally maintained that lawfully carrying a firearm should never be treated as probable cause or justification for deadly force.
Journalist Aaron Rupar shared video of the exchange on social media, where it quickly spread across platforms. Many commenters noted the irony of a Fox News personality appearing unfamiliar with constitutional protections that the network’s audience typically holds dear.
For Khanna, who serves as Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on China and represents Silicon Valley in Congress, the interview provided an opportunity to articulate Democratic opposition to Trump’s immigration policies while standing on constitutional ground that Republicans claim to defend. His performance demonstrated how Democrats can challenge the administration’s tactics without appearing soft on border security.
The incident also illustrated the difficult position conservative media figures face when defending controversial law enforcement actions that appear to conflict with conservative principles. Bartiromo’s struggle to reconcile support for aggressive immigration enforcement with respect for Second Amendment rights exposed the inherent tensions in that position.
As Trump’s mass deportation operations continue, the deaths of American citizens like Alex Pretti and Renee Good will likely remain a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration policy and law enforcement accountability.