The Trump administration has quickly abandoned its familiar 'deny and attack' playbook after initially using it when federal agents shot dead Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday morning. Within 24 hours, as various videos of the shooting circulated online, it became clear that the White House was out of step with public opinion. Since then, the administration – and the president himself - have changed tack, blaming Democrats for what happened and focusing less on the actions of the American nurse who was killed.
Democrats, meanwhile, have increased their criticism of the president's mass deportation policy and the aggressive tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leaning into a political fight that could result in a new government shutdown on Friday. On Monday morning, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described the situation as a 'powder keg'. While he blamed the Democrats, many on both sides of America's political divide will agree that the current situation is fraught with peril.
The initial administration response to Pretti's death was straightforward. The 37-year-old was portrayed as a domestic terrorist bent on bloodshed. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that Pretti wished to 'inflict harm' and was 'brandishing' a weapon.
This White House has typically been quick to push back when criticized. 'Deny and attack' has long been a bedrock Trump strategy for handling adversity. But, perhaps tellingly, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to echo Miller's comments herself on Monday when pressed on whether the president agreed with his senior adviser. Instead, she said a full investigation would be carried out.
It was a notably more muted tone than that struck immediately after the shooting. The footage shows Pretti filming ICE agents with his mobile phone and helping a woman who is pushed over before both are pepper-sprayed. Pretti is visibly not holding a gun when he is wrestled to the ground. DHS says Pretti had a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and two magazines of ammunition. Local police have said Pretti was a legal gun owner. Under Minnesota law, citizens can legally carry a concealed handgun in public if they have a permit.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, when asked by BBC News about Homan's involvement, said that he may provide a new avenue to work with the administration. 'I don't want to foreclose the possibility that reasonable minds can prevail,' he added, 'but we are here exactly because the federal government had unreasonable positions.' At the moment, both Republicans and Democrats are grappling with how to handle what has become an explosive situation. At stake is the public perception of Trump's immigration policy, a core political issue for the president and one that helped him win back the White House.
Democrats, meanwhile, have increased their criticism of the president's mass deportation policy and the aggressive tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leaning into a political fight that could result in a new government shutdown on Friday. On Monday morning, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described the situation as a 'powder keg'. While he blamed the Democrats, many on both sides of America's political divide will agree that the current situation is fraught with peril.
The initial administration response to Pretti's death was straightforward. The 37-year-old was portrayed as a domestic terrorist bent on bloodshed. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that Pretti wished to 'inflict harm' and was 'brandishing' a weapon.
This White House has typically been quick to push back when criticized. 'Deny and attack' has long been a bedrock Trump strategy for handling adversity. But, perhaps tellingly, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to echo Miller's comments herself on Monday when pressed on whether the president agreed with his senior adviser. Instead, she said a full investigation would be carried out.
It was a notably more muted tone than that struck immediately after the shooting. The footage shows Pretti filming ICE agents with his mobile phone and helping a woman who is pushed over before both are pepper-sprayed. Pretti is visibly not holding a gun when he is wrestled to the ground. DHS says Pretti had a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and two magazines of ammunition. Local police have said Pretti was a legal gun owner. Under Minnesota law, citizens can legally carry a concealed handgun in public if they have a permit.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, when asked by BBC News about Homan's involvement, said that he may provide a new avenue to work with the administration. 'I don't want to foreclose the possibility that reasonable minds can prevail,' he added, 'but we are here exactly because the federal government had unreasonable positions.' At the moment, both Republicans and Democrats are grappling with how to handle what has become an explosive situation. At stake is the public perception of Trump's immigration policy, a core political issue for the president and one that helped him win back the White House.
