In an interview with Fox News before his speech in Iowa, President Trump said he thought Bovino’s “out there” approach was inappropriate for the situation.
Trump and Walz discuss immigration enforcement in Minneapolis
President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had a “productive” phone conversation about immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
DES MOINES — President Donald Trump said he wants to “de-escalate” the explosive situation in Minnesota after federal agents shot and killed two people in recent weeks, and insisted that a shake-up in the leadership of the state’s immigration enforcement team is not a “reversal” by his administration.
The Trump administration has been reeling from intense backlash against the operation in Minnesota after federal agents killed Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preti this month. The president sent Border Czar Tom Homan to take over the Minnesota operation, led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Leader Gregory Bovino.
Immigration enforcement tactics in Minnesota have drawn intense criticism, and Trump said in a Fox News interview before his speech in Clive, Iowa, that he thought Bovino’s “out there” approach was inappropriate for the situation.
President Trump said, “Mr. Bovino is extremely talented.” “But he’s a pretty eccentric type of guy, and while that might have been good in some cases, it might not have been good here.”
Trump also said in the interview that he wanted to lower temperatures as protesters and federal agents clashed on the streets of Minneapolis. The streets of Minneapolis are in turmoil following the shocking deaths of two people who have shocked the nation.
“We’re going to loosen up a little bit,” the president said.
President Trump reversed course in Minneapolis after federal agents shot and killed Preti on January 24, toning down his rhetoric and meeting with Democratic leaders in Minnesota to retreat from the confrontational approach that has been the hallmark of his immigration crackdown. The president said in a social media post that he had recently spoken with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who he has repeatedly criticized, and that they now appear to be “on the same wavelength.”
Mr. Homan met with Democratic Party leaders in Minnesota on January 27th.
Walz’s office later announced that the governor advocated for an independent investigation into the shooting and a significant reduction in the number of federal employees in the state.
“The Governor and Mr. Homan agree on the need for continued dialogue, and we will continue to work toward these goals, which the President agreed to yesterday,” Walz’s office said in a statement.
Protester: “I’m here because of Lenny Goode”
The deaths of Preti and Good, both 37, have sparked protests and backlash from lawmakers over ICE operations in Minnesota, with more Republicans speaking out after Preti, a Department of Veterans Affairs nurse, was killed over the weekend.
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the venue where President Trump gave a speech in Iowa, with some saying they were there out of concern about what was happening in Minneapolis.
Olga Gonzalez, 52, of Ames, handed out sandwiches and water she prepared at home before driving with her two sons. Gonzalez said the killing was personal to her and that “as a mother, I’m here because of Renee Good.” Ms. Good died in her car shortly after dropping her children off at school.
Trump administration officials lashed out at Preti after her death, with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller calling him a “candidate assassin” and a “domestic terrorist.” Nomu later suggested that Preti was involved in domestic terrorism.
Trump says about leadership shakeup: “I’ll be the one to shake up the team.”
However, the White House has since sought to distance itself from Trump’s comments. During an appearance at an Iowa business before his speech, the president told reporters, “I haven’t heard anything like that,” when asked about Miller and Noem’s explanation of Preti.
President Trump called Preti’s death a “very unfortunate incident,” but continued to question the fact that Preti had a legally allowed gun and did not brandish it when confronted by authorities.
“I don’t like that he had a gun. I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines,” said Trump, who has long expressed support for the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms.
President Trump continued to express his confidence in Nohm on January 27, telling reporters that he would not ask Homan to resign despite bipartisan calls for him to resign, although he revealed that Homan currently hosts a show in Minneapolis and reports “directly to me.”
Trump’s leadership is notable for his reluctance to change course even in the face of criticism, and his focus on Minneapolis. Opinion polls show that most Americans think Mr. Trump’s deportation efforts have gone too far, and his approval ratings on immigration, one of his signature issues, have declined.
The president tried to downplay the change in his approach when asked about Minnesota’s leadership shake-up.
“That’s what I always do: shake up the team,” Trump told reporters on Jan. 27 after visiting customers at an Urbandale machine shed before his speech. “You guys here, there’s a lot of farmers and place owners. If they can’t harvest their crops fast enough, they have to regroup their teams. Look, we’ve got a great team.”
“I hope you remember us until midterms.”
Although there was considerable turnover during Mr. Trump’s first administration, his leadership team has become more stable since his reelection. President Trump later said in an interview on Fox that the leadership change was not a “setback.”
“It’s a bit of a change,” he said.
President Trump’s visit to Iowa was an opportunity to change the subject, and Clive’s hour-long speech at the Horizon Events Center largely stayed on topic, focusing on his economic policies while concerns about the cost of living linger. The president claimed that his Democratic predecessor’s policies were costing Americans.
“Remember, the first part of this year, in fact you could say almost the first year, I was repairing this country from the horror show that we inherited,” he said.
Trump seemed pleased to be back in Iowa, the first state in which he won the presidential election on his first long-term goal. He recalled his previous victories there and twice teased running for president again, despite constitutional term limits on running for office again.
The president also delivered his most powerful speech yet in the lead-up to the midterm elections, telling rallygoers, “We want you to remember us until the midterm elections.”
He said if Republicans lose in the 2026 election, “very bad things will happen” if the tax cuts passed by Republicans go into effect. President Trump implored his supporters: “You have to get out and vote.”
Contributor: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY. Nik El Haji, Des Moines Register
