Donald Trump has appeared to distance himself from controversial remarks by senior members of his administration about ICE shooting victim Alex Pretti.
Mr Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot dead by immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis at the weekend, just weeks another officer from the controversial unit killed 37-year-old Renee Good in the same city.
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The response from top White House officials, notably Trump adviser Stephen Miller and homeland security secretary Kristi Noem, has provoked a furious backlash from Mr Pretti’s family, leading Democrats, members of the public, and – increasingly – Republican politicians.
Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Trump said he wants to “de-escalate” the situation in Minneapolis following talks with the Democratic mayor and state governor, and described the killing of Mr Pretti as “very unfortunate”.
When leaving the White House for a rally in Iowa, Mr Trump was asked whether he agreed Mr Pretti was a “would-be assassin” – as described by Mr Miller.
“No. Not as a – no,” the US president said. “Listen, you can’t walk in with guns. You can’t do that, but it’s just a very unfortunate incident.”
Later, when speaking to reporters before a rally in Iowa, Mr Trump repeated his view that “certainly, (Mr Pretti) shouldn’t have been carrying a gun”.
He added: “Look, bottom line, everybody in this room, we view that as a very unfortunate incident.
“Everyone, unless you’re a stupid person.”
Under the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, the rights of citizens to carry a gun are protected. That right has traditionally been staunchly defended by Republicans.
Local officials in Minnesota have also said Mr Pretti was carrying a handgun legally.
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In an interview with Fox News, the US president added that he was going to “de-escalate” federal immigration operations in Minneapolis, but insisted this was “not a pullback but a change”.
It came ahead of an incident where a man lunged at Democratic Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar during a town hall and tried to spray her with an unknown substance.
Ms Omar, who has faced repeated attacks from Mr Trump and his administration, and who has called for ICE to be abolished, did not appear to be injured and continued speaking after.
A man shouts at Ilhan Omar after spraying her during a town hall. Pic: Reuters/Maria Alejandra Cardona
Meanwhile, two Republican senators have broken ranks with the party and called for Ms Noem to resign in the wake of the shootings.
Asked if he had confidence in Ms Noem, Thom Tillis, representing North Carolina, told reporters on Capitol Hill: “No, not at all. I think she should go.”
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The senator, who is not seeking a second term, added that some of the secretary’s actions showed “amateurish assistant-manager-sort of thought processes”.
Alaskan senator Lisa Murkowski also told Sky’s US partner network NBC News: “Yes, she should go.”
