President Donald Trump said Jan. 27 that he wants “a very honorable and honest investigation” into the Jan. 24 fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, signaling a more measured tone as scrutiny intensifies over federal immigration operations in the city.
“We’re doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I’m going to be watching over it. I want to see it myself,” Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding that he wants the investigation to “play out.”
Asked whether Pretti acted like an “assassin,” Trump shook his head and responded, “No, not as an assassin.”
“With that being said, you can’t have guns. You can’t walk in with guns,” he added, appearing to reference Pretti’s presence at the protest.
He also expressed sympathy for Pretti’s family, saying, “I love all of our people. I love his family, and it’s a very sad situation.”
Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, was killed during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis. As Zeale News previously reported, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said shortly after the shooting that Pretti approached officers with a firearm and resisted efforts to disarm him, describing the incident as a justified defensive shooting.
Video footage circulating online, however, has raised questions about whether Pretti posed an imminent threat before his death. As FOX News reported, a federal agent had disarmed Pretti moments before another agent shot him.
Trump’s latest comments also come amid visible changes within federal law enforcement leadership. As Zeale News previously reported, Trump announced Jan. 26 he was sending Border Czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to directly oversee operations, bypassing the standard chain of command, which includes Noem and other Border Patrol leadership.
In a Jan. 27 interview with FOX News’ Will Cain, Trump suggested Homan’s presence was intended to calm tensions, saying, “We’re going to de-escalate a bit.”
Meanwhile, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino — who has suggested Pretti intended to carry out a “massacre” — is leaving Minnesota, FOX News reported Jan. 26. The outlet also reported that some federal agents are expected to be withdrawn from Minneapolis.
Asked by Cain about the reassignment, Trump offered a mixed assessment, saying that “Bovino is very good, but he’s a pretty out there kind of guy. And in some cases, that’s good. Maybe it wasn’t good here.”
Trump said the leadership change and expected withdrawal do not amount to a full pullback but called it “a little bit of a change.”
Homan met with Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Jan. 27. In a statement after the meeting cited by The Hill, Walz said that the two “agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue and will continue working toward those goals, which the President also agreed to yesterday.”
Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he also had a “productive meeting” with Homan and reiterated his call for an end to the federal immigration operation in the city.
“I also made it clear that Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws, and that we will remain focused on keeping our neighbors and streets safe,” Frey said on X. “City leaders will continue to stay in conversation with Mr. Homan and his team.”
Trump’s remarks contrast with earlier characterizations from administration officials — including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Bovino. As Zeale News previously reported, Miller described Pretti as an “assassin,” while Noem said he planned to inflict “maximum damage” and commit “domestic terrorism.” Trump had earlier seemed to distance himself from the initial DHS messaging.
Noem has since faced repeated calls from the public and from lawmakers to resign, as well as threats of impeachment. Despite the pressure, Trump publicly defended her when asked whether she should step down.
“I think she’s done a very good job,” he told reporters at the White House, praising her handling of border security and noting the border is now “totally secure.”
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