US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his Homeland Security chief, Kristi Noem, would remain in her role despite backlash over a fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. When asked if Noem should step down following the incident, where 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti was killed while protesting against immigration raids, Trump told reporters at the White House: “I think she’s doing a very good job.”
The New York Times reported that Trump held an almost two-hour meeting on Monday evening with Noem. The Republican president has long favored aggressive immigration raids and had previously described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist.” In contrast, Homan, his border czar, advocates for more targeted arrests of undocumented migrants over the more showy mass raids carried out by Noem.
Trump was heading to Iowa for an economy-focused speech on Monday, where he continued to pivot from the White House’s initial aggressive stance on the shooting. “We’re doing a big investigation,” Trump said. “I’m going to be watching it and I want to see an honorable and honest investigation. I have to do it myself.” The president’s comments looked likely to escalate tensions within the United States over gun rights, sparked by Pretti’s death. His administration and law enforcement agencies had earlier defended the shooting on grounds that Pretti possessed a handgun and acted violently when entangled with agents.
Gun rights advocates, who often back Trump, raised concerns about the administration’s comments regarding Pretti.