White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt avoided victim-blaming rhetoric in her first public comments on the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, instead calling the incident a 'tragedy' and declining to endorse adviser Stephen Miller's description of Pretti as a 'would-be assassin'. The shift in tone suggests the Trump administration may be backing down amid mounting scrutiny.
Leavitt told reporters that President Trump wants to let the investigation take its course and noted a 'constructive and productive conversation' between Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, including a potential withdrawal of Border Patrol agents from the state. Walz's office confirmed the president 'agreed to look into' reducing federal presence.
When pressed on Miller's tweet calling Pretti a 'would-be assassin', Leavitt deflected, saying she had not heard Trump characterise Pretti that way. She declined to answer whether Miller would apologise to Pretti's family, but added: 'Nobody here at the White House, including the president of the United States, wants to see Americans hurt or killed... We mourn for the parents.'
The restrained response marks a departure from the administration's usual combative stance, following similar retreats on Greenland and a diplomatic row over Nato. Analysts suggest Trump may be responding to negative media coverage and internal Republican discontent, with some lawmakers urging a pullback of federal agents from Minnesota.
