The White House has said that President Donald Trump did not want to see anyone hurt on US streets but quickly again blamed Democrats after immigration agents killed two people in Minneapolis.
"Nobody in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people getting hurt or killed in America's streets," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday.
She described the shooting death on Saturday by federal agents of Alex Pretti — whom a Trump aide had quickly and without evidence branded a "domestic terrorist" — a "tragedy." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has labeled Pretti as committing an act of domestic terrorism.
"We mourn for the parents. As a mother myself, of course, I cannot imagine the loss of life," she said.
But the conciliatory note was short-lived.
Leavitt quickly blamed the rival Democratic Party for unrest that has broken out since Trump ordered a surge in Minneapolis by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), masked and armed agents deployed in force against local wishes.
"This tragedy occurred as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota," Leavitt said, blaming Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats.
She accused elected Democrats of "spreading lies about federal law enforcement officers who are risking their lives daily to remove the worst criminal illegal aliens from our streets."
She demanded that Walz, to whom Trump spoke by telephone on Monday, and Frey fully cooperate with federal agents and "turn over all illegal aliens" detained by local authorities.
Right to carry weapons
Pretti had a permit to carry a gun, although video footage did not show him taking out his weapon before ICE agents appeared to shoot him multiple times.
Trump's Republican Party long has defended the right to carry weapons virtually without restriction, and Leavitt said Trump supports the right to bear arms.
But she added: "Any gun owner knows that when you are carrying a weapon, when you are bearing arms and you are confronted by law enforcement, you are raising the assumption of risk, and the risk of force being used against you."
"That's unfortunately what took place on Saturday," she said.
Three active probes
Asked about deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller’s social media characterisation of Pretti, without offering any evidence, as "an assassin" who "tried to murder federal agents," Leavitt stressed that Trump hadn’t used such words.
"This has obviously been a very fluid and fast moving situation throughout the weekend,” Leavitt said, adding that Trump "has said that he wants to let the investigation continue and let the facts lead."
Asked if Miller would apologise to Pretti’s family, Leavitt again turned to Trump’s position.
"Nobody here at the White House, including the president of the United States, wants to see Americans hurt and losing their lives," she said.
Leavitt added that a trio of "active investigations" and internal probes of the shooting were underway by federal agencies.
Leavitt said that the Department of Homeland Security and FBI were investigating the shooting and that US Customs and Border Protection was "conducting their own internal review."
"As President Trump said yesterday, the administration is reviewing everything with respect to the shooting, and we will let that investigation play out," Leavitt added.
Leavitt told reporters at the news briefing that she has not heard Trump commit to release body camera footage from federal immigration officers involved in the shooting and killing of Pretti, who was protesting the administration’s actions.
Leavitt later said that the administration is talking with members of Congress about requirements to have federal immigration officers wear body cameras.
