Trump’s Discussions with MN Governor Amid Rising Tensions

President Donald Trump stated on Monday that he had productive conversations with Minnesota’s Democratic Governor, Tim Walz, as unrest grows in Minneapolis following the recent shooting of Alex Preti by federal immigration agents.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared, “Governor Tim Walz called me to collaborate on the state of Minnesota. It was a smooth call. We were pretty much in agreement. I mentioned to him that I would have Tom Homan reach out to me, as we aim to identify any criminals they might be dealing with.

Protests erupted over the weekend, escalating tensions as law enforcement confronted demonstrators at a hotel Sunday night. The unrest gained momentum after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed Preti.

According to federal officials, Preti approached staff with a handgun and resisted their attempts to disarm him. However, some witnesses have questioned whether Preti, who worked as an ICU nurse, really posed a legitimate threat.

Trump further emphasized that Governor Walz has been receptive to their discussions, stating, “We’ll be talking soon. Tom Homan is looking forward to heading to Minnesota, and so am I! We’ve seen success in Washington, D.C., Memphis, New Orleans, and other places we’ve been involved in. Even in Minnesota, crime rates have dropped, and both of us want to make a real impact!”

On Monday, Trump announced that he would send Tom Homan, the White House’s Border Secretary, to Minnesota to oversee operations directly.

Homan’s role will be to manage Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities on the ground and coordinate with other agencies regarding ongoing fraud investigations. He is expected to arrive in Minnesota later that night.

In a conversation with the Wall Street Journal, Trump remarked that his administration is exploring all aspects of the shooting incident but didn’t specify whether the Border Patrol agent acted appropriately.

The recent shooting follows the earlier incident on January 7, where an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, which led to significant criticism from Democrats who labeled the act as “murder.” Governor Walz and other Democratic leaders have faced backlash from Trump regarding their response to a substantial fraud scandal in the state, leading to the deployment of more federal law enforcement in early January. The Trump administration has accused Walz and his fellow leaders of inciting chaos in the city, claiming their rhetoric spurred confrontations between protestors and the police.

Fox News Digital reached out for comments from Walz’s office but received no immediate response.