President Donald Trump and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt are distancing themselves from the provocative statements made by top administration officials in the immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti involving federal agents in Minneapolis.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller quickly accused Pretti, an ICU nurse, of domestic terrorism after Saturday's shooting without citing any evidence.
"Does the president agree with them?" ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked Leavitt during Monday's press briefing. "Look, as I've said, I have not heard the president characterize Mr. Pretti in that way," Leavitt said. "However, I have heard the president say he wants to let the facts in the investigation lead itself."
Trump is unlikely to fire Kristi Noem anytime soon, partly because it’s still early in his administration, partly because she fits the alluring image he tends to favor, and partly because removing her would hand Democrats an easy win. That said, sidelining Noem may be a different story. Reports that she has had little communication with Tom Homan (who has far more hands-on experience with ICE operations and immigration enforcement), raise questions about internal coordination. At the same time, since Noem was made the border czar she often appears more focused on photo ops and cable news hits than on mastering policy details, which can undermine credibility on such a complex issue. If the administration wants tighter messaging and more effective execution on immigration, shifting more responsibility to seasoned operators (led by Homan) while reducing Noem's public-facing role could be a practical middle ground.
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