The White House on Monday seemed to ease its language regarding the recent death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal officials in Minneapolis, following an initial reaction that led to widespread calls for de-escalation of ongoing federal deportation operations in Minnesota.
“Nobody in the White House, including President [Donald] Trump, wants to see individuals getting hurt or killed in America’s streets,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned to reporters during a briefing.
This pertains to Pretti and Renee Nicole Good — another U.S. citizen who was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis — “and the courageous individuals within federal law enforcement as well as the numerous Americans victimized by the actions of illegal alien criminals,” Leavitt stated.
Trump “does not wish for any Americans to suffer fatalities in the streets of America,” Leavitt added later.
The statement from the White House, which expressed condolences for the two individuals killed during tumultuous encounters with immigration officers, stood in stark contrast to the earlier reactions of certain administration officials concerning the shootings.
Stephen Miller, Trump’s homeland security adviser, labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and accused him of being an “assassin.”
Greg Bovino, Border Patrol commander at large, suggested Pretti might have intended to “massacre law enforcement.”
Numerous media organizations, including the Associated Press, reported Monday, citing sources that Border Patrol commander Bovino and some agents are anticipated to depart Minneapolis by Tuesday.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, shortly after Pretti’s death, asserted that he had been “brandishing” a weapon and that he reacted “violently” to officers’ attempts to disarm him. Subsequent reports from various news outlets revealed many of those claims were disputed by the available video footage.
When asked about Miller’s remarks, Leavitt stated on Monday, “I have not heard the president refer to Mr. Pretti in that manner.”
Leavitt’s remarks followed a day after Trump, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, refrained from explicitly stating whether he believed the shooting of Pretti was appropriate.
“We’re examining everything and will make a determination,” Trump mentioned to the newspaper.
Earlier on Monday, Trump announced on Truth Social that border czar Tom Homan would head to Minnesota on Monday night to oversee U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s operations on the ground in the region.
“Tom is tough yet fair, and will report directly to me,” Trump noted.
Leavitt remarked in a different social media post that Homan will collaborate with officials conducting ongoing investigations into fraud schemes in Minnesota.
Trump’s statement emphasized that Homan had not previously been engaged in Minnesota, where thousands of federal agents have been sent in recent weeks to carry out the Trump administration’s rigorous deportation agenda.
The deaths of Good and Pretti have ignited massive protests, fierce denunciations of ICE from Democrats, and requests for de-escalation from business leaders.
As Homan assumes command in Minnesota, Noem and other administration officials confront increasing criticism, including from gun rights advocates and some conservatives, regarding their leadership and rhetoric in Minneapolis.
Fox News reported on Sunday that certain senior officials involved in immigration enforcement have “become increasingly uneasy and frustrated with some of the claims and narratives that DHS has promoted” following the recent shooting.
Axios reported last month that Noem and Homan have a strained and contentious working relationship. Trump has commended both officials.
Noem, in a statement on X, indicated that Trump’s decision to appoint Homan for Minnesota is “positive news for peace, safety, and accountability in Minneapolis.”
“I have collaborated closely with Tom over the past year, and he has been a significant asset to our team— his expertise and perspective will aid in our extensive fraud investigations, which have exploited Americans, and will assist in removing even more public safety threats and violent criminal illegal aliens from the streets of Minneapolis,” Noem stated.
“We continue to urge the leadership in Minnesota to facilitate state and local collaboration in our public safety efforts,” she emphasized.
The president’s change in approach also comes as his approval ratings on immigration, along with his overall approval rate, have declined, according to recent polling from The New York Times, Siena University, and others.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday afternoon indicated only 39% of Americans approve of Trump’s immigration actions, representing his lowest rating on the survey since returning to the White House.
In another Truth Social post later Monday morning, Trump mentioned that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had called him and requested to collaborate in the state.
“It was a very constructive call, and we actually seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” Trump stated. “I informed Governor Walz that I would have Tom Homan contact him, and that we are looking for any and all criminals they have in their custody.”
“The Governor, very respectfully, acknowledged that, and I will be discussing this with him in the near future. He was pleased that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I!” Trump concluded.
The positive remarks regarding Walz hinted at the tonal adjustment that the White House would this time employ from the briefing room podium. Previously, Trump administration officials regularly criticized the Democratic governor, even accusing him of contributing to the social unrest in Minneapolis that led to the shootings.
Nonetheless, Leavitt in Monday’s briefing continued to place blame for the turmoil in Minnesota on Walz.
“This tragedy occurred as a result of deliberate and antagonistic resistance by Democratic leaders in Minnesota,” she stated. “For weeks, Governor Walz and [Minneapolis Mayor Jacob] Frey and other elected Democrats have disseminated falsehoods about federal law enforcement officers who are risking their lives each day to remove the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens from our streets.”
The government has reportedly subpoenaed Walz and other Minnesota Democrats in connection with an inquiry into potential obstruction of federal law enforcement efforts in the state.
Walz’s office described the conversation with Trump as “productive,” stating in a release that the governor “advocated for impartial investigations concerning the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents.”
DHS, rather than the FBI, is set to carry out the inquiry into the shooting of Pretti by the department’s own personnel, MS NOW reported Sunday, citing officials.
Trump agreed to consult with DHS about “ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is enabled to conduct an independent investigation, as would typically occur,” according to Walz’s office.
“The President also committed to examining the reduction of the number of federal agents in Minnesota and collaborating with the state in a more coordinated manner concerning immigration enforcement regarding violent offenders,” the release stated.
Tensions in Minnesota have escalated following the two shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot dead by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7 as she began to drive her SUV after another agent ordered her out of the vehicle.
On Saturday, Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse in Minneapolis, was shot and killed by federal officers.
Both deaths occurred in daylight and in front of witnesses, captured on video from various angles, significantly raising the scrutiny on immigration agents’ techniques and training.
In both instances, many Trump administration officials quickly defended the agents’ actions as warranted, while making assertions about the events that later analyses showed to be contradicted by the evidence.
On the same day that Pretti was killed, DHS stated that he approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a handgun and that after they sought to disarm him, he “violently resisted.”
However, videos reveal Pretti holding a phone as the incident unfolds. Additionally, the footage seems to depict one officer taking a weapon from Pretti’s person prior to the discharge of any shots.
Authorities believed Pretti to be a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, as stated by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara during a news conference.
