Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday defended Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House adviser Stephen Miller after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) criticized their early characterization of the U.S. citizen who was shot by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis as a "domestic terrorist."
Tillis — the first Senate Republican to publicly call for Noem's removal following the shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti — said the officials’ comments were premature and damaging to the administration’s immigration message. "What she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job," Tillis told reporters, calling the remarks "amateur-ish."
Graham Stands By Miller
Responding to Tillis, Graham praised Miller’s loyalty to former President Donald Trump and warned colleagues against expecting Trump to distance himself from Miller. Speaking on Fox News, Graham said he has known Miller for years, acknowledged policy differences, but emphasized Miller’s place in Trump’s inner circle: "When the clock strikes midnight for President Trump, there will be very few by his side. One will be Stephen Miller."
"To convince yourself that you can get Trump to distance himself from Stephen Miller, you must have a very high opinion of yourselves," Graham added, arguing that the president’s confidence in Miller remains "rock solid and unshakable."
President Donald Trump expressed confidence in DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to continue leading the department.
The Minneapolis Incident
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse, was shot and killed Saturday by Border Patrol agents while recording federal immigration enforcement activity in Minneapolis. Video available publicly shows officers deploying an irritant, a woman being knocked down, and agents confronting Pretti; an agent is seen removing Pretti’s legally owned handgun from his waistband before other agents fired multiple shots that killed him.
Noem and Miller drew bipartisan backlash for their early public descriptions of Pretti — Noem called him a "domestic terrorist" and Miller used terms such as "would-be assassin" — characterizations made before a full incident report was released.
White House Reaction And Investigation
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she had "not heard the president characterize" Pretti with those labels. President Trump told reporters he believes Noem is "doing a very good job," called the shooting a "very sad situation," said he had not heard the specific labels, and urged "a very honorable and honest investigation" that he wants to review personally. The president also said Pretti "shouldn’t have been carrying a gun."
The incident has prompted calls from lawmakers in both parties for restraint while investigations proceed and has intensified scrutiny of communication by senior officials in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
