Trump held 2-hour meeting with Noem as his administration grapples with Minneapolis strategy
By Alayna Treene, CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump met for nearly two hours with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her senior adviser, Corey Lewandowski, in the Oval Office on Monday evening, two sources familiar with the meeting told CNN, after Noem had asked to speak with Trump in person.
The meeting comes as the Trump administration has showed its first signs of retreat in Minneapolis following Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, the second person killed by federal agents in the city this month.
Trump did not threaten Noem’s or Lewandowski’s jobs during the meeting, the sources said. Instead, the group had a frank conversation about how to continue carrying out the president’s immigration agenda in Minnesota amid national backlash — including criticism from some Republicans — and unrest in the state.
Other top Trump officials, including chief of staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and communications director Steven Cheung, also attended the meeting, which was first reported by The New York Times.
The White House declined to comment on the meeting, though an official reiterated the president’s support for Noem.
In the wake of Saturday’s shooting, administration officials shared a torrent of claims that have either been contradicted by video footage or unsupported by any evidence presented so far. Over the weekend, Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, who had been leading the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, scrapped with lawmakers and others online, claiming in social media posts that Pretti was assaulting federal law enforcement officers before he was killed.
Bovino, whose social media accounts were suspended by DHS on Monday, is expected to leave Minneapolis on Tuesday after Trump announced he’s sending border czar Tom Homan to lead the operation.
Asked about the Oval Office meeting on Fox News, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Tuesday that Trump and Noem have “had at-length discussions.”
“I can’t get into those specifics, but Secretary Noem will continue to oversee, of course, the Department of Homeland Security,” McLaughlin said. She added that Noem is “very happy” that Homan will be overseeing immigration operations in Minneapolis.
Homeland Security Investigations — the DHS’ investigation agency — is leading the federal investigation into Saturday’s shooting, with the FBI acting in a supportive role, according to officials. But days after the killing, questions remain about where investigations stand. The Justice Department has not opened a civil rights investigation, and a crisis coordination center was erected in Minneapolis to investigate protesters.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Daniel Dale, Priscilla Alvarez, Michael Williams, Holmes Lybrand and Aaron Blake contributed.
