National Review senior political correspondent and Washington Post contributing columnist Jim Geraghty wrote Monday about the status of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, alleging she has become a liability for President Donald Trump.
Geraghty accused Noem of failing to accurately depict the events surrounding the two recent ICE agent shootings that left U.S. citizens dead.
"If the Trump administration wants the public to support its immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis and elsewhere, it needs to speak honestly about events like the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti," Geraghty said.
"Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has repeatedly demonstrated that she is incapable of doing that, and is proving a consistent liability to a top priority of the administration."
Geraghty then pointed to Minnesota's leadership. "Meanwhile, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz explicitly compares U.S. federal agents to Nazis."
The opinion piece accused Noem of manufacturing information surrounding the weekend shooting of Pretti in Minneapolis by an ICE agent."Noem and the rest of federal law enforcement have offered no proof that Pretti 'arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,' nor that he intended to 'massacre law enforcement.'"
He continued, "The video does not show Pretti 'attacking' the officers. It does not show him 'brandishing' his weapon."
He wrote "In the criminal justice system, words have particular meanings." Geraghty claimed Noem was improper in her use of specific words when describing the events as she knew them from the deadly encounter.
The editorial claimed Trump administration spokespeople have offered improper or inaccurate information about the two shooting cases but then offered praise for border czar Tom Homan, who is being sent to Minneapolis by President Donald Trump.
"Homan's strategy of 'focusing on criminal aliens and those with final deportation orders' sure sounds a lot more popular than what we're seeing now. The American people overwhelmingly support the deportation of gang members, sex traffickers, drug dealers, and other violent criminals.
"They are significantly less enthusiastic about deporting Manuel the busboy from the restaurant down the street.'"
Geraghty also offered words of caution for protesters in Minneapolis. "If a couple of progressive activists must get killed to demonize and discredit the actions of the Department of Homeland Security, that is a price that ICE Watch is willing to pay."
President Donald Trump wrote on social media Monday that he had a phone conversation with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and they exchanged a desire to improve their working relationship to ease tensions around Minneapolis.
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