Trump and Minnesota Governor Speak After Deadly Shooting, Hinting at a Possible Thaw
President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz struck a more measured and cooperative tone after holding a private phone call on Monday, signaling an effort by both sides to cool tensions surrounding the Trump administration’s deportation campaign, which has been linked to the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.
Trump also held separate talks with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Officials described those conversations as notably more constructive, marking a shift from the sharp and hostile public rhetoric exchanged in recent weeks.
Further signs of easing tensions emerged after a senior Trump administration official confirmed that Gregory Bovino, a senior U.S. Border Patrol leader who had faced intense criticism from Democrats and civil liberties advocates, will be withdrawn from Minnesota along with several agents deployed under his command.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said Trump’s appointed border czar, Tom Homan, will take over operations in the state, leading what the administration has branded Operation Metro Surge.
President Trump had earlier said Homan was being sent to Minnesota, stressing that he was not directly involved in the controversial enforcement actions but is familiar with and respected by officials on the ground.
Leadership Shift
Later on Monday, another source with knowledge of the situation said Gregory Bovino had been removed from the specially created role of “commander at large” within the U.S. Border Patrol and would return to his previous position as chief patrol agent for the El Centro sector along the California–Mexico border.
The source added that Bovino was expected to retire in the near future. A second source confirmed his reassignment to El Centro but did not provide additional details.
Reports of Bovino’s apparent demotion were first published by The Atlantic, citing a Department of Homeland Security official and two other individuals familiar with the matter.
The outlet also reported that Bovino was likely to retire soon. However, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin pushed back on those claims, writing on X that “Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties.”
Face of the Deportation Push
Gregory Bovino has long been a prominent figure in Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts, frequently leading armed federal agents on city patrols in Minneapolis.
His reassignment came shortly after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti during a weekend clash between federal officers and protesters, an incident that intensified public anger and scrutiny of the administration’s tactics.
The killing of Pretti, captured in a widely circulated video, appeared to challenge official claims that he initiated the confrontation, sparking outrage across Minnesota.
Earlier in the month, Renee Good, another U.S. citizen, was also killed by federal agents under contested circumstances, further heightening tensions.
Bovino and other Trump administration officials had publicly portrayed both Pretti and Good as aggressors, though video footage and eyewitness accounts have raised questions about those assertions.
Meanwhile, state authorities have accused federal officials of obstructing local investigations, triggering a legal battle over access to evidence and oversight of the incidents.
Read More: Court to Review Pause Request in Minnesota Immigration Operation
Diplomacy Over the Line
On Monday, efforts to reduce tensions in Minnesota appeared to gain traction. Following a phone call with Governor Tim Walz, President Trump said the two were “on a similar wavelength,” a notable shift after he had previously deployed roughly 3,000 federal immigration agents to the Minneapolis‑St. Paul’s area despite opposition from state and local leaders.
Walz’s office described the conversation as “productive,” noting that Trump indicated he might scale back the number of federal agents and would direct the Department of Homeland Security to allow the state to conduct its own review of the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti.
Trump also spoke with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, with both sides reporting progress toward resolving the standoff. Trump posted on social media that the talks had produced “lots of progress,” while Frey said Trump acknowledged the current situation “can’t continue” and that some federal personnel were expected to begin leaving the Twin Cities the following day.
Public support for the administration’s immigration enforcement appeared to be declining in the wake of Pretti’s death, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Prominent Minnesota Republican Opposes Trump
Another indication that support for Trump’s immigration crackdown is waning came on Monday, when Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Madel withdrew from the race, saying the federal operation had gone too far and made it impossible for a Republican to win.
“I cannot support the national Republicans’ stated retribution against the citizens of our state, nor can I consider myself part of a party that would do so,” Madel said in a video statement.
The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that Alex Pretti posed a threat, claiming agents fired in self-defense after he allegedly approached them with a handgun.
However, video footage from the scene, verified by Reuters, tells a different story: Pretti is seen holding a phone rather than a firearm as officers struggle to restrain him.
The footage also shows a gun being removed from his waistband after he was subdued, just moments before he was fatally shot. Pretti was a licensed gun owner.
