The White House is doing something it almost never does: backing away from its own people. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday publicly distanced President Trump from the inflammatory rhetoric that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller used to describe the killing of Alex Pretti—a man shot in the back by federal agents on a Minneapolis street.
WHAT’S GOING ON: When asked whether Trump agreed with Noem calling Pretti a “domestic terrorist” who “attacked” officers while “brandishing” a firearm, or with Miller’s claim that Pretti was a “would-be assassin” who “tried to murder federal law enforcement,” Leavitt said she hadn’t heard the president “characterize Mr. Pretti in that way.”
Instead, Trump supposedly “wants to let the facts and the investigation lead itself.”
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This is the same administration that immediately defended the ICE officer who shot unarmed Renee Good earlier this month. No hesitation. No “let the investigation play out.” But now? Suddenly they’ve discovered the concept of due process.
WHY IT MATTERS: Multiple witness videos show what actually happened: Pretti was filming officers, tried to help a woman being pepper-sprayed, got pepper-sprayed himself, and then—after video appears to show an officer taking his gun and walking away—was shot in the back. Not exactly the “assassination attempt” Miller described.
The only reason the White House is backing down is because Republicans are turning on them. Rep. James Comer suggested pulling ICE out of Minnesota. Sen. Bill Cassidy said “the credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake.” Sen. John Curtis called Noem’s response “premature.” Even Texas Gov. Greg Abbott—Trump’s loyal attack dog—said the White House needs to “recalibrate” ICE.
When you’ve lost Greg Abbott on immigration enforcement, you’ve really stepped in it.
OF COURSE: Leavitt still managed to blame Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, accusing them of “shamefully” blocking cooperation with ICE. And when asked if Miller would apologize to Pretti’s family? No definitive answer—just more “the investigation is ongoing” deflection.
The administration also quietly swapped out Gregory Bovino—who defended the shooting on CNN—and is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis instead. But don’t worry, Leavitt assured everyone, Trump still has “confidence” in Noem. (For now.)
BOTTOM LINE: A man is dead. Video shows him being shot in the back. And the White House’s primary concern isn’t justice—it’s managing the political fallout from their own officials calling the victim a terrorist before anyone reviewed the tape. The “law and order” administration only cares about accountability when the pressure becomes unbearable.