Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday defended her response to the killing of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents over the weekend, claiming that the Trump administration was “using the best information we had at the time,” while conceding that “we can always do better.” (Watch video below.)
Noem was sidelined by President Donald Trump after her claims that Pretti sought to “kill law enforcement” and that he was “brandishing a gun” were directly undercut by eyewitness video of the shooting, prompting uproar nationwide, including criticism from Republican lawmakers.
In her first interview since Saturday, Noem told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that her assessment was based on early accounts from people on the ground.
“Well, Sean, I know you realize that that situation was very chaotic and that we were being relayed information from on the ground, from [Customs and Border Protection] agents and officers that were there. We were using the best information we had at the time, seeking to be transparent with the American people,” she said.
Noem added that the FBI will be leading a probe into Pretti’s killing.
“We will continue to follow the investigation that the FBI is leading and giving them all the information that they need to bring that to the conclusion and make sure that the American people know the truth,” she said.
Asked if there were any lessons to be learned over nearly a week after Pretti’s killing, Noem said: “We believe that we can always do better, and we seek to do that every single day.”
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Noem has faced intense pressure to resign from her position following Pretti’s killing, including from two Republican senators — Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).
But Hannity singled out House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ comments that Noem “needs to be put on ice permanently,” without mentioning the GOP calls for her ouster.
“Well, these radicals are attacking me, but I’m just doing my job. I’m following the law, enforcing the laws, like President Trump promised that he would do to keep people safe in this country,” Noem said.
While Noem is now trying to soften her tone on Saturday’s shooting, the Homeland Security Department’s response in the immediate aftermath distorted reality. The department claimed that it appeared that Pretti “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement,” before any investigation had the chance to play out, and even while public videos at the time undermined that account. Noem’s press conference also amplified the misleading statements.
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As outrage ensued, Trump deployed his border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis in an apparent effort to de-escalate tensions there.
But while Homan said Thursday he was looking for “commonsense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here,” Trump said the opposite during an exchange with reporters later that evening.
Meanwhile, in a post on his Truth Social platform just before 2 a.m., Trump called Pretti “an agitator” and said his “stock has gone way down,” citing video of a violent confrontation the ICU nurse had with federal agents 11 days before his shooting death.
He said, “It was quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control.”