If you thought Republican lawmakers would finally rein in President Donald Trump's immigration goons after one of them executed an innocent man in broad daylight, you'd be wrong.

On Saturday morning, Border Patrol agents fatally shot intensive-care nurse Alex Pretti while he was subdued on the ground. Pretti was armed with a handgun, but videos show he never drew it during the encounter and that an agent secured Pretti’s gun before agents fired the first shot. Pretti held an active concealed-carry permit, according to his family members.

In all, federal agents fired at least 10 bullets at Pretti, executing a disarmed man who was no threat to them—all for Pretti having the temerity to assist another innocent bystander who had been brutalized by federal agents.

Despite these clear-cut facts, Republicans rushed to defend the execution.

"Organized domestic terrorists believe they are untouchable. GOP must unite to support @realDonaldTrump to defeat them," Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas wrote in a post on X shortly after Pretti was killed, seemingly him of being a domestic terrorist. "Stay the course[.] Fund ops through reconciliation or ending fake filibuster[.] Support Insurrection Act[.] Follow the money to crush Marxist terror network[.]”

Roy wasn't the only Republican to push the false and defamatory accusation that Pretti was a paid agitator.

Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said Americans need to "chill out" and stop protesting, accusing those in Minnesota of being "paid protesters," "communists," "anarchists," and people who "hate our country,” “hate our flag,” “hate our veterans,” “hate our God,” “hate democracy,” and “hate capitalism."

Apparently, Burchett didn't see that Pretti worked as an ICU nurse at the Department of Veterans Affairs. On social media, a viral video showed Pretti reading a heartfelt final salute to a veteran who had died at the VA hospital where he worked.

Other Republicans similarly lied about Pretti, accusing him of pulling a gun on agents despite numerous videos showing Pretti did nothing of the sort. They also blamed Pretti’s killing on Democrats, not the federal agents who have been wantonly beating and killing Americans in the streets.

It was clearly a coordinated messaging campaign from House Republican leaders, who posted similar versions of the same message on X.

"The governor and local leaders’ rhetoric has empowered criminals and put federal law enforcement’s lives at risk. It’s dangerous and has made the situation in Minneapolis much worse. Unlike my Democrat colleagues, I’m going to let law enforcement conduct their investigation and not jump to asinine conclusions. We are grateful no Border Patrol officers were harmed," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota, wrote in a post on X.

Other Republicans made near-identical posts.

"Democrats have spent years empowering criminals and vilifying law enforcement, causing federal agents to be under siege in a city surrendered to lawlessness," the Republican Study Committee—which the majority of the House Republican conference belongs to—wrote in a post on X.

The post was in response to the lie-filled statement from the Department of Homeland Security in which the agency sickeningly accused Pretti of wanting to "do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."

"[Minnesota Gov.] Tim Walz and [Minneapolis Mayor] Jacob Frey have blood on their hands. Nobody wants to see injuries or fatalities—of citizens or law enforcement. That means citizens can’t run over law enforcement with their vehicles or pull a gun on them," Rep. Andy Biggs, Republican of Arizona, wrote on X.

Rep. Mike Collins, a Georgia Republican running for Senate, said Pretti would be alive if he had just complied with officers and not been armed—a bizarrely hypocritical message from a self-proclaimed Second Amendment defender who has posted videos of him shooting things for fun.

"Please do not fight with or interfere with law enforcement doing their job and be armed while doing so," Collins wrote in a post on X.

Other Republicans were quick to post similarly disgusting comments, including Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri, who wrote in a post on X of the innocent Americans who have been shot to death by ICE, "The common denominator: not complying with police."

Of course, Pretti was not interfering with law enforcement. He was recording their violent tactics before assisting a fellow observer whom agents had harassed and sprayed with chemical irritants.

Multiple media outlets have posted stories that a growing number of Republicans are criticizing immigration officials who shot Pretti to death.

However, a deeper look at the Republicans criticizing the horrific killing are the same cast of characters who have made tepid criticism of Trump before refusing to do anything to stop him. Among those criticizing the latest tragedy are Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Ultimately, most Republican lawmakers are sadistic Trump sycophants who like what they are seeing. And as long as Trump is defending immigration agents’ tactics, congressional Republicans will do the same.

Because at the end of the day, Republicans are cowards who are afraid of Trump and the rabid MAGA cult that blindly follows Dear Leader.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos