RNC Amplified Disputed Border Patrol Account Hours Before Commander’s Removal

The Republican National Committee circulated talking points echoing Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino’s disputed account of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti just hours before Bovino was removed from the Minneapolis operation — illustrating how quickly the party’s public messaging shifted as new evidence emerged.

Memo Promoted Party Line

The memo, distributed to RNC surrogates midday Monday and obtained by POLITICO, urged Republicans to blame Democrats for “inciting protestors to attack and aggressively confront law enforcement in Minneapolis.” It repeated elements of the administration’s initial narrative, including Bovino’s claim that the U.S. citizen shot by immigration agents "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” Independent analyses and witness videos — including reporting by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal — have called that depiction into question.

Video Evidence Challenges Initial Account

Included in the talking points was the assertion that “agents attempted to disarm the individual as he violently resisted. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots.” Video recorded at the scene appears to contradict that description, prompting scrutiny of the government’s early statements.

Rapid Shift In Messaging And Personnel

The gap between the RNC amplifying Bovino’s remarks and his swift sidelining underscores how the administration and allied Republicans scrambled to contain fallout. President Trump announced Monday that border czar Tom Homan would travel to Minneapolis to oversee the federal immigration operation — a move widely interpreted as an effort to regain control of the response — and Bovino was removed hours later, according to reporting from The Atlantic.

High-Profile Reactions And Political Fallout

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, several high-profile figures, including Governor Kristi Noem, publicly labeled Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, a "domestic terrorist." By the same evening, however, the president took a more tentative tone, telling The Wall Street Journal that his administration was "reviewing everything." At a later appearance in Iowa, Trump said he had not heard the initial assessments from Noem and others and noted that Pretti “certainly shouldn’t have been carrying a gun,” though Minnesota officials say Pretti had a permit to carry.

Some Republican senators publicly criticized DHS leadership or called for changes; Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Noem should be "out of a job," and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she "should go." Meanwhile, Democrats in the Senate have threatened to oppose a DHS funding bill unless it includes new safeguards — raising the prospect of a standoff over funding for the agency.

RNC Response And Broader Context

Kiersten Pels, an RNC spokesperson, would not confirm the memo’s authenticity but reiterated its message in a written statement: "Democrats incited this violence by encouraging protesters to confront law enforcement... while President Trump and Republicans stand with law enforcement and public safety." The episode comes as Trump’s approval on immigration has declined; a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found 39% of Americans approved of his handling of immigration.

Bottom Line: The RNC’s midday memo briefly amplified a disputed law-enforcement account that witness video and independent reporting later challenged, and the rapid personnel changes and political pushback that followed revealed deep divisions and uncertainty in the administration’s handling of the Minneapolis response.