Leavitt Distances Trump From Aides Who Claim Minneapolis Victim Was a ‘Domestic Terrorist’ Seeking To ‘Massacre’ Agents

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is putting some distance between President Trump and some of his top lieutenants after they claimed Minnesota nurse Alex Pretti was a “domestic terrorist” seeking to “massacre” federal agents. Ms. Leavitt on Monday declined to defend those comments, saying the president has not used those words privately and that he is waiting to see the results of a full investigation. Just hours after Pretti was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday, several high-profile members of the Trump administration began attacking him, saying that he was plotting to kill agents who are working in Minnesota as part of the president’s deportation operation. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller kicked off the campaign against Pretti, writing on X shortly after his death that he was a “domestic terrorist” who showed up at a protest with a firearm intending to harm agents. Pretti never took his firearm from its holster, and was shot by agents after he had been disarmed. The Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, echoed Mr. Miller’s sentiment, saying that Pretti was “brandishing” his firearm, even though multiple videos show him holding only a cell phone. In the same videos, he never reaches for the weapon during the altercation. Border Patrol senior officer Greg Bovino said at a press conference Saturday morning that Pretti was seeking to “massacre” agents who were performing deportation duties. He has since said that the public should wait for the investigation to be concluded.Reports surfaced Monday afternoon that Mr. Bovino is expected to depart Minneapolis Tuesday, and that top administration officials were not pleased with the language he used over the weekend. At her briefing, Ms. Leavitt said the president has not expressed the same sentiments about Pretti as Mr. Bovino and others. “As for President Trump, whom I speak for, he has said that he wants to let the investigation continue and let the facts lead in this case,” she said when asked about comments by other administration officials.“I have not heard the president characterize Mr. Pretti in that way,” Ms. Leavitt said when asked about the “domestic terrorist” label. “However, I have heard the president said that he wants the facts in the investigation lead.” When asked a follow-up question about how Mr. Trump felt about his administration officials using such descriptors for Pretti, Ms. Leavitt ignored the question and moved on.When asked if Mr. Miller would apologize to Pretti’s family for his words, Ms. Leavitt simply said that the president does not want to see Americans harmed. “We mourn for the parents. As a mother myself, of course I cannot imagine the loss of life, especially losing one’s child,” she said. She did clarify, however, that Mr. Trump has confidence in Ms. Noem to continue in her job. An impeachment effort by House Democrats against Ms. Noem has gained significant support following Pretti’s death, with nearly two-thirds of the Democratic Caucus now supporting articles of impeachment. The shooting of Pretti on Saturday comes at a pivotal moment for both the Department of Homeland Security and its agencies charged with executing Mr. Trump’s mass deportation plans. Even before Pretti’s death, an overwhelming majority of Americans viewed ICE negatively, telling pollsters that agents are going too far in using force against migrants and protesters. Several Republicans on Capitol Hill have also expressed a great deal of concern about the shooting and ICE’s ability to maintain order. The Senate majority leader, Senator John Thune, said Monday that he hopes border tsar Tom Homan’s presence in Minnesota “leads to turning down the temperature and restoring order.”Mr. Homan — a 30-year veteran of the Border Patrol — is being dispatched to Minneapolis to help better coordinate the law enforcement actions of federal, state, and local officials. Ms. Leavitt says Mr. Homan will attempt to “subdue the chaos” on Minneapolis’s streets. “He has the full trust and faith of the president. He will continue to have these meetings in the hopes that ICE and local law enforcement can cooperate and work together,” Ms. Leavitt said. Mr. Trump and Governor Tim Walz spoke on Monday to discuss ways to restore order to Minnesota’s largest city. Mr. Walz’s office described the phone call as “productive.”“The President agreed that he would talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation,” Mr. Walz’s office said. “The President also agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota.”

Leavitt Distances Trump From Aides Who Claim Minneapolis Victim Was a ‘Domestic Terrorist’ Seeking To ‘Massacre’ Agents

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