President Donald Trump said Tuesday he continues to have confidence in Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and does not plan to ask her to step down despite mounting scrutiny following a fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis and a subsequent reshuffling of immigration enforcement leadership in Minnesota.
"I think she's done a very good job," Trump said as he departed the White House. "The border is totally secure."
Asked directly by a reporter whether Noem would resign or be forced out of her Cabinet post, Trump replied, "No."
Noem has faced increasing criticism following the Saturday shooting death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti during a federal law enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
In response to the controversy, Trump on Monday assigned White House border czar Tom Homan to take over leadership of immigration law enforcement operations in Minnesota. Those efforts had previously been overseen by Noem and Gregory Bovino, the administration's Border Patrol commander.
The White House has since moved into damage control mode as details surrounding the Minneapolis operation and Pretti's death continue to emerge.
According to The New York Times, Trump and Noem met privately for about two hours on Monday amid growing political backlash.
Several Democrat members of Congress have publicly called for Noem's impeachment, citing concerns over the use of force by federal agents and the administration's immigration enforcement tactics.
Pretti's death marked the second fatal shooting involving federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis in less than three weeks. Earlier this month, Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross while inside her vehicle, which authorities said she was using to block an ICE operation.
Trump said the circumstances surrounding Pretti's death remain under investigation and declined to offer a judgment on whether the shooting was justified.
"We're doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation," Trump said.
"I'm going to be watching over it. I want a very honorable and honest investigation."
However, Trump also suggested that Pretti's possession of a firearm was a key factor in the confrontation.
"You can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns," he said.
"You can't do that," added Trump. "It's just a very unfortunate thing."
Federal officials have not yet released full details of the investigation, and DHS has said it is cooperating with ongoing reviews of both incidents.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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