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Sunday, Feb 01, 2026
Outside the box.
White House Distances Trump From Early Claims by Officials After Fatal Pretti Shooting
Administration clarifies that President Trump has not endorsed characterisations by aides of the Minneapolis shooting victim as a ‘domestic terrorist’ as investigations continue
The White House has publicly distanced President Donald Trump from initial statements made by some senior administration officials regarding the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents, as ongoing investigative findings raise questions about the narrative offered in the immediate aftermath.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing that the president has not described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” countering remarks made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller shortly after the January 24 incident.
Leavitt emphasised that the president prefers to let the facts and the federal investigation guide the administration’s public position, underlining that no definitive characterisation should be drawn before a complete review is concluded.
The distancing comes amid widespread scrutiny of how federal officials responded to the shooting, including claims by Noem and Miller that Pretti threatened law enforcement, assertions that video evidence and watchdog reviews have contradicted.
Multiple perspectives show that Pretti, a thirty-seven-year-old intensive care nurse, was holding only his cellphone before being tackled by officers, and that a legally carried firearm was removed from his person only after he was restrained, calling into question some of the narrative offered by those officials.
The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation now leading the probe following preliminary reviews by the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump has also acted to adjust his administration’s approach on the ground in Minneapolis, dispatching his top border official to oversee the operation and signalling a shift in tone as authorities seek to manage the political and legal fallout.
While Kristi Noem retains her position as homeland security secretary, there has been vocal criticism from across the political spectrum of the initial characterisation of the incident, and some Republican lawmakers have called for independent investigations into the use of force.
Leavitt reiterated that the president condemns loss of life and that investigators must determine the facts, reflecting the administration’s effort to delineate the president’s stance from the early, more inflammatory comments by aides and agency leaders.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing that the president has not described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” countering remarks made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller shortly after the January 24 incident.
Leavitt emphasised that the president prefers to let the facts and the federal investigation guide the administration’s public position, underlining that no definitive characterisation should be drawn before a complete review is concluded.
The distancing comes amid widespread scrutiny of how federal officials responded to the shooting, including claims by Noem and Miller that Pretti threatened law enforcement, assertions that video evidence and watchdog reviews have contradicted.
Multiple perspectives show that Pretti, a thirty-seven-year-old intensive care nurse, was holding only his cellphone before being tackled by officers, and that a legally carried firearm was removed from his person only after he was restrained, calling into question some of the narrative offered by those officials.
The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation now leading the probe following preliminary reviews by the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump has also acted to adjust his administration’s approach on the ground in Minneapolis, dispatching his top border official to oversee the operation and signalling a shift in tone as authorities seek to manage the political and legal fallout.
While Kristi Noem retains her position as homeland security secretary, there has been vocal criticism from across the political spectrum of the initial characterisation of the incident, and some Republican lawmakers have called for independent investigations into the use of force.
Leavitt reiterated that the president condemns loss of life and that investigators must determine the facts, reflecting the administration’s effort to delineate the president’s stance from the early, more inflammatory comments by aides and agency leaders.
