President Donald Trump expressed deep regret over the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, calling both deaths tragic while defending a major leadership shakeup inside the federal immigration apparatus.
In a candid interview, Trump insisted the decision to remove Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino from his Minnesota post did not signify a retreat from immigration enforcement. Instead, he said the move was part of a broader effort to cool tensions after weeks of public unrest.
“It was terrible. Both of them were terrible,” Trump said.
“I hate to see it, I hate to see that.”
Why Trump Replaced Bovino With Homan
Protests have surged across Minnesota after two agent-involved shootings sparked outrage, street clashes, and political friction. Against that backdrop, Trump explained why he reassigned Bovino and appointed longtime operative Tom Homan to oversee operations.
“Bovino is very good, but he’s a pretty out-there kind of a guy,” Trump said. “And in some cases, that’s good. Maybe it wasn’t good here.”
He described Homan as a steady force who can defuse rising tensions with state and local leaders. “Tom is fantastic. Tom is a tough guy, but I’ve watched over the years, and he’s gotten along with governors, and he gets along with mayors,” Trump said. “Some people don’t. Some people just want to do their job and leave me alone.”
Administration Signals a Shift in Tone
Even as he defended the personnel change, Trump pushed back against claims that his administration is retreating from enforcement efforts in Minnesota.
“I don’t think it’s a pullback,” he said. “It’s a little bit of a change.”
“We’re going to de-escalate a little bit,” he added, framing the adjustment as a recalibration rather than a reversal.
Homan has already met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, two officials who have fiercely criticized federal enforcement tactics in recent weeks. According to Walz’s office, both sides “agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue and will continue working toward those goals.”
Trump said his own phone conversation with Walz was surprisingly positive. He told interviewer Will Cain it “couldn’t have been a nicer conversation.”
“It’s hard to believe that’s the same guy I watch on television… because we had a very reasonable conversation, very good conversation,” Trump said.
Good and Pretti Killings Weigh on the White House
The president also reflected on the emotional weight of the two fatal shootings. Good’s family reportedly supported Trump politically, a detail he admitted made the situation feel even heavier.
“I’m not sure about his [Pretti’s] parents, but I know her [Good’s] parents were big Trump fans,” Trump said. “Makes me feel bad anyway, but, I mean, I guess you could say even worse. They were tremendous Trump people.”
Trump also questioned why Pretti had been legally carrying a fully loaded handgun at the time of the encounter, calling the circumstances atypical.
“I don’t like the fact that he was carrying a gun that was fully loaded and he had two magazines with him,” he said. “And it’s pretty unusual.”
Trump Blames Agitators and Argues Media Fixates on Errors
Despite acknowledging the tragedies, Trump sharply criticized what he called coordinated unrest by professional agitators.
“When I watch some of the people that I’ve been watching over the last few weeks, these are paid insurrectionists. These are paid agitators. These people aren’t normal,” he said.
He argued that federal agents rarely receive credit for broader enforcement successes.
“We take out drug dealers. We take out a whole group of people by the thousands, and if we get one person a little bit wrong, headlines,” Trump said.
Claims of Distraction and Fraud Allegations
The president suggested that ongoing Minneapolis protests may serve a political purpose unrelated to immigration policy.
“… A lot of what’s going on with respect to Minneapolis, you know, with what’s happening with all the hoopla, is so people don’t talk about the fraud,” Trump said.
When asked whether he truly believed the unrest served as a distraction, Trump did not hesitate.
“I’ve said it from day one,” he replied. “It’s a distraction.”
