The statement marked perhaps one of the most notable shifts in messaging to date on Pretti’s shooting, from one of the administration’s most hawkish messengers. Noem briefed the White House officials on the defiant tone she planned to take, making clear she would defend agents on the ground. At the time, sources said, she and the White House were in lockstep. On Tuesday, the president struck a more conciliatory tone over the shooting in Minnesota as he appeared to break with both Noem and Miller. “I don’t think it’s a pullback — it’s a little bit of a change,” Trump told Fox News during a live interview in Iowa.

Source: CNN January 28, 2026 03:53 UTC