Kristi Noem called ‘sicko fan’ by DHS officials after Minnesota nurse killed by federal agents

Even Donald Trump has refused to back Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s claim that the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti in Minnesota was justified.Noem’s statement on the shooting last week allegedly sparked anger and dissent within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).The US president distanced himself from Noem’s hardline stance during an interview with the Wall Street Journal, refusing to say whether the Border Patrol agent who shot Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday had “done the right thing”. Instead, he said his administration was “reviewing everything and will come out with a determination”.The MAGA chief’s comments contrast with Noem’s immediate response to the killing. Speaking just hours after Pretti’s death, Noem claimed the nurse had arrived “with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation” and described the incident as “an act of domestic terrorism”. Pretti held a legal gun permit and did not brandish his firearm in any way, according to videos on social media.

The split within the administration was further exposed by the reaction inside DHS. According to Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, multiple federal immigration officials privately criticised the department’s handling of the incident. Melugin said officials described the response as “a case study on how not to do crisis PR” and accused leaders of rushing out claims of a planned “massacre” and “maximum damage” that were not supported by video evidence.Quoting officials he spoke to, Melugin wrote on X: “One said they are so ‘fed up’ that they wish they could retire, another said ‘DHS is making the situation worse,’ and another added that ‘DHS is wrong’ and ‘we are losing this war, we are losing the base and the narrative.’” He added that the approach had “been catastrophic from a PR and morale perspective, as it is eroding trust and credibility”.CNN also reported an inner rift within DHS, with several insiders saying Noem’s statements no longer align with what the public can see for themselves. One official said: “The department needs a law enforcement leader, not a sicko fan.”Trump said in the WSJ interview that he “doesn’t like any shooting” but focused on the fact that Pretti arrived with what he described as a “very powerful, fully loaded gun” and magazines. However, bystander footage appears to show an officer already holding Pretti’s handgun and several officers holding him down moments before another agent opened fire, contradicting early DHS claims that Pretti was “violently” resisting.Earlier this month, Renne Nicole Good, a Minneapolis woman, was shot by ICE agents in “self-defense”. She was killed by an officer named Jonathan Ross, who the DHS alleges was hit by Good’s car during the encounter.Behind the scenes, White House aides are reportedly worried that the Minneapolis operation has become a political liability, according to the Daily Beast. Trump told WSJ that immigration agents would “at some point” withdraw from Minneapolis, though he suggested another federal team would remain to pursue “major welfare fraud case.” Senior Trump aide Stephen Miller is reportedly urging the President not to back down.