Timeline of Trump officials' changing comments on Alex Pretti shooting

The Trump administration moved quickly to portray Alex Pretti as a grave threat to law enforcement after the 37-year-old intensive care nurse was shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller both described Pretti as a domestic terrorist within hours of his death on Jan. 24, and the Department of Homeland Security released a statement that day saying it appeared Pretti "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."

Yet, as uproar over the shooting grew, videos of the incident spread and the administration's narrative unraveled, the White House changed course and adopted a more conciliatory approach. Videos showed that Pretti never brandished the gun he was carrying, which he was licensed to have. In the videos, Pretti can be seen holding a cell phone in one hand, his other hand empty, during an immigration enforcement operation that attracted protesters.

Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties quickly began to speak out. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, called the situation in Minnesota "incredibly disturbing" in a social media post on the evening of Pretti’s death. The next day, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, joined Cassidy in calling for "a thorough and impartial investigation" and Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, suggested focusing immigration enforcement on other cities, calling Minneapolis a bad situation that’s "only going to get worse."

Border czar Tom Homan went to Minneapolis and vowed "massive changes" to the immigration enforcement effort in the city and a "draw down" of some of the agents working there. By the end of the week, some in the administration continued to criticize Pretti after a video emerged of a prior encounter with immigration agents. The president early in the morning of Jan. 30 called Pretti an "agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist" in a social media post.

Here’s a timeline showing how the administration's statements evolved after reports of the shooting came shortly after 9 a.m. CT in a case that has become a major political liability for President Donald Trump.

January 24

11:31 a.m. CT/12:31 p.m. ET: A Department of Homeland Security post on X describes Pretti as an individual who "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."

"An individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, seen here. ..... The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect also had 2 magazines and no ID—this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."

12:22 p.m. CT/1:22 p.m. ET: Stephen Miller called Pretti a "domestic terrorist" on X in response to a post from Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

"A domestic terrorist tried to assassinate federal law enforcement and this is your response? You and the state’s entire Democrat leadership team have been flaming the flames of insurrection for the singular purpose of stopping the deportation of illegals who invaded the country."

12:43 p.m. CT/1:43 p.m. ET: Stephen Miller called Pretti an "assassin" on X in a reply to a post from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut. Murphy shared a news headline stating that the person shot had died and called for ICE to leave Minnesota.

"An assassin tried to murder federal agents and this is your response," Miller posted.

Later, Vice President JD Vance shared Miller's post.

1:06 p.m. CT/2:06 p.m. ET: President Donald Trump posts a photo of the gun federal officials said Pretti was carrying to his Truth Social account. At 1:37 p.m. CT/2:37 p.m. ET, the official White House X account also posts a photo of the gun.

"This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go – What is that all about?"

Border Patrol leader Gregory Bovino said Pretti wanted to do "maximum damage" and "massacre law enforcement," echoing the DHS language at a Jan. 24 news conference. He also said the agent fired "defensive shots."

"During this operation an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol agents with a 9 mm semiautomatic hand gun. The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a border patrol agent fired defensive shots… the suspect also had two loaded magazines… this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti "committed an act of domestic terrorism" at a Jan. 24 news conference.

"When you perpetuate violence against a government because of ideological reasons, and for reasons to resist and perpetuate violence, that is the definition of domestic terrorism. This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism. That’s the facts."

Noem described Pretti as someone who came to "inflict maximum damage" and "kill law enforcement."

"This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement." She added that "he wasn’t there to peacefully protest, he was there to perpetuate violence." 

Noem also said Pretti "attacked" law enforcement.

"This individual impeded the law enforcement officers and attacked them… we were doing a targeted operation against an illegal criminal and this individual came with a weapon and dozens of rounds of ammunition and attacked them and these agents took action to defend their lives and to defend the lives of the people around them."

Noem described Pretti as "brandishing" a gun.

"This individual went and impeded their law enforcement operations, attacked those officers, had a weapon on him and multiple, dozens of rounds of ammunition, wishing to inflict harm on these officers, coming, brandishing like that and impeding their work that they were doing."

At 4:55 p.m. CT/5:55 p.m. ET, an official White House X account, "Rapid Response 47," shares a Noem quote where she described Pretti using weapons to assault officers. Minutes later, the Homeland Security X account shared the post:

"This individual showed up to impede a law enforcement operation, and assaulted our officers. They responded according to their training... this is a violent riot, when you have someone showing up with weapons, and are using them to assault law enforcement officers."

January 25

8:23 a.m. CT/9:23 a.m. ET: The Rapid Response 47 X account quotes Bovino in a post:

"He was there for a reason — and that reason was to impede law enforcement… de-escalation techniques were utilized during this action… those techniques did not work. Officers always try to use the minimum amount of force necessary…"

9:05 a.m. CT/10:05 a.m. ET: Homeland Security shares a clip of Bovino where he said "...It's too bad the consequences had to be paid..." during an appearance on CNN.

"Law enforcement doesn't assault anyone. Follow directions of law enforcement. Follow directions of law enforcement in an active crime scene. It was very evident he didn't want to do that ... It's too bad the consequences had to be paid because he injected himself into that crime scene."

Trump tells the Wall Street Journal in Jan. 25 interview "we’re reviewing everything."

Pressed in a telephone interview with the Wall Street Journal on whether federal agents had done the right thing with Pretti, Trump said, "We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination." The president also said during the interview that immigration agents eventually will depart Minneapolis, saying "At some point we will leave. We’ve done, they’ve done a phenomenal job." Trump also talked about Pretti having a gun, saying "I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it. But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn’t play good either."

January 26

7:31 a.m. CT/8:31 a.m. ET: Trump posts on Truth Social that he's sending his border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota "tonight."

"Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. ET news conference on Jan. 26 distanced Trump from Miller and Noem’s description of Pretti as a domestic terrorist.

"I have not heard the president characterize Mr. Pretti in that way." Leavitt also said when asked about the comments about Pretti by administration officials that "this has obviously been a very fluid and fast-moving situation throughout the weekend. As for President Trump, whom I speak for, he has said that he wants to let the investigation continue and let the facts lead in this case."

January 27

Trump told reporters he wants an "honorable and honest" investigation of Pretti’s death as he departed the White House on the morning of Jan. 27 for a trip to Iowa.

"We're doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I'm going to be watching over it. I want a very honorable and honest investigation. I have to see it myself." Trump also said that "I’m looking at the whole situation. I love everybody. I love all of our people. I love his family. And it's a very sad situation." He added of Pretti that "You can’t have guns. You can’t walk in with guns. You can’t do that."

Trump says "I haven’t heard that" when asked by reporters during an afternoon visit to an Iowa business about comments made by members of his administration that Pretti is a domestic terrorist.

"Well, I haven’t heard that but certainly he shouldn’t have been carrying a gun… Look, bottom line, everybody in this room, we view that as a very unfortunate incident. OK? Everyone, unless you’re a stupid person, a very, very unfortunate incident. I don’t like that he had a gun. I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines. That’s a lot of bad stuff. And despite that, I say that’s a very unfortunate…"

Trump talks about de-escalation in Minnesota during a Fox News interview in Iowa that aired in the late afternoon.

"We’re going to de-escalate a little bit."

Trump in the Fox News interview called Pretti’s death, and an earlier death in Minneapolis when an immigration agent shot and killed Renee Good, "terrible."

"Bottom line it was terrible. Both of them were terrible. The other was terrible too, and I’m not sure about his parents but I know her parents were big Trump fans. Makes me feel bad anyway, but I guess you could say even worse."

Trump also discussed Border Patrol leader Gregory Bovino, who had helped oversee immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, in the Fox interview, calling him "out there." Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to take over the Minneapolis operation.

"Bovino is very good, but he’s a pretty out there kind of a guy. And in some cases it’s good, maybe it wasn’t good here." Trump denied that the leadership shakeup in Minneapolis was a pullback, saying: "I don’t think it’s a pullback. It’s a little bit of a change."

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller in a Jan. 27 statement responded to questions about the initial narrative put out by the Department of Homeland Security and said Customs and Border Protection may have erred in the events leading up to Pretti’s death.

"The initial statement from DHS was based on reports from CBP on the ground. Additionally, the White House provided clear guidance to DHS that the extra personnel that had been sent to Minnesota for force protection should be used for conducting fugitive operations to create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors. We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol."

January 29

Trump border czar Tom Homan says during a news conference in Minneapolis that "massive changes" are coming to immigration enforcement efforts in the city, including a "draw down" of federal agents.

"You're going to see some massive changes occurring here in this city," Homan said after describing "significant" progress during discussions with local leaders. Homan said immigration agents are being withdrawn from the city. "My main focus now is draw down," of immigration agents, he said. Agents that remain will focus on "targeted" operations aimed at people with criminal records, something he said the Minneapolis operation strayed from "a little bit."

10:26 a.m. CT/11:26 a.m. ET: Trump shares a video on Truth Social from days before the shooting that appears to show Pretti in a confrontation with agents, spitting on their vehicle, with an overlay showing Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, speaking about Pretti.

As she reads: "Alex carried patience, compassion and calm as a steady light within him," the video shows him kicking out a taillight on the vehicle.

6:17 p.m. CT/7:17 p.m. ET: Asked about pulling immigration enforcement agents out of Minnesota at a red carpet event for a documentary about the first lady, Trump told a reporter he was not doing so.

"We want to keep our country safe. We'll do whatever we can to keep our country safe," said Trump.

"So, you're not pulling back?" asked the reporter.

"No, no. Not at all."  

January 30

12:26 a.m. CT/1:26 a.m. ET: Trump calls Pretti "agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist" in a Truth Social post referencing a newly surfaced video shot days before the shooting.

"Agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist, Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Officer, and then crazily kicking in a new and very expensive government vehicle, so hard and violent, in fact, that the taillight broke off in pieces. It was quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control. The ICE Officer was calm and cool, not an easy thing to be under those circumstances! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN."

Contributing: James Powel, Stephen J. Beard and Shawn J. Sullivan