The White House on Monday said President Donald Trump did not want to see anyone harmed on US streets, even as it blamed Democratic leaders for unrest following the killing of two people by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that neither the administration nor Donald Trump condoned violence. “Nobody in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people getting hurt or killed in America’s streets,” she said.
Leavitt described the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents as a “tragedy” and expressed sympathy for his family. “We mourn for the parents. As a mother myself, I cannot imagine the loss of life,” she said.
Shift to political blame
However, the conciliatory tone quickly shifted as Leavitt accused Democratic leaders in Minnesota of fuelling unrest. She claimed the violence occurred due to “deliberate and hostile resistance” by state and city authorities to federal immigration enforcement.
She specifically blamed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, accusing them of undermining federal law enforcement efforts.
According to the White House, tensions escalated after Trump ordered a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel in Minneapolis. The deployment involved masked and armed agents, reportedly carried out despite opposition from local authorities.
Accusations of misinformation
Leavitt further accused Democratic leaders of “spreading lies” about federal agents. She said ICE officers were “risking their lives daily to remove the worst criminal illegal aliens from our streets,” a claim that critics have disputed amid growing scrutiny of recent operations.
The remarks come as Minneapolis witnesses protests and public anger over the killings, with civil rights groups and local leaders demanding transparency and accountability in federal enforcement actions.
The political blame game has deepened divisions in Washington, even as investigations into the killings remain ongoing and calls grow for an independent review of the use of force by federal agents.