On Tuesday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham came to the defense of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Stephen Miller after Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) criticized them. The criticism stemmed from their labeling of Alex Preti, a 37-year-old American citizen killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, as a “domestic terrorist.”
Tillis was notably the first Senate Republican to call for Noem’s removal following Preti’s death, which occurred during a federal immigration operation. “What she did in Minnesota should disqualify her,” Tillis remarked, describing her response as “amateurish” and detrimental to President Trump’s immigration agenda.
He expressed concern that leadership failures within the Department of Homeland Security were overshadowing the strong stance Trump had taken on immigration, stating, “No one is talking about the policies that the president won with. They’re talking about the incompetence of leadership.” Tillis criticized Noem and Miller for prematurely suggesting, even before any incident report was filed, that Preti was a terrorist.
In addressing Tillis’s remarks, Graham argued that believing Trump could distance himself from Miller was overly optimistic. “I’ve known Stephen Miller for a long time. We have our differences, but we have more in common,” he told Fox News. He underscored Miller’s significant role in Trump’s administration, emphasizing that if some didn’t grasp this, they had missed something crucial.
Graham continued, noting that Trump’s trust in Miller was “rock-solid and unwavering,” suggesting that his colleagues should recognize this as well.
As for Alex Preti, he was shot while documenting an ICE operation in Minneapolis. Initial reports indicate he was trying to help another staffer who had collapsed after being sprayed with pepper spray. This led to an altercation in which an agent removed Preti’s legally-owned firearm from his waistband before shots were fired that ultimately killed him.
Noem quickly referred to Preti as a “domestic terrorist,” while Miller called him a “wannabe assassin,” claims that drew bipartisan criticism for being unfounded.
The White House tried to distance itself from the comments made by Noem and Miller. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt stated that the president had never characterized Preti in that light. Though there were mounting calls from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers for Noem’s resignation, Trump expressed confidence in her continued leadership at the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump, when speaking about the situation, commented on Noem’s performance positively, asserting, “I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is completely secure.” He remarked on the progress made since he inherited a border system that was overwhelmed. However, when asked about their characterizations of Preti, he claimed he hadn’t heard those specific statements, adding, “He shouldn’t have had a gun,” and described the shooting as a “very sad situation,” expressing a desire for a thorough investigation.
