Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says President Donald Trump agreed to allow an independent state investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti — a detail missing from the president’s upbeat account of their so-called “very good call.”
The call came as Minnesota remains flooded with federal immigration officers following Pretti’s killing by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, an incident captured on video and now at the center of a national political fight.
Trump first described the conversation Monday on Truth Social, saying he and Walz were on a “similar wavelength” and suggesting the governor was pleased with border czar Tom Homan being sent to oversee Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the state.
Walz does not dispute that the call happened. He does dispute what it was about.
I spoke to the President earlier. We had a productive conversation and I explained to him that his staff doesn’t have their facts straight about Minnesota. My thoughts in the Wall Street Journal:https://t.co/Prlt2mu8Bx pic.twitter.com/XFJyv6V1yH
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 26, 2026
In an official statement released later Monday, Walz said he pressed Trump on two specific points: independent investigations into shootings involving federal agents, and a reduction in the number of federal officers operating in Minnesota.
“The Governor made the case that we need impartial investigations of the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, and that we need to reduce the number of federal agents in Minnesota,” the statement said.
According to Walz’s office, Trump agreed to both, at least in principle.
“The President agreed that he would talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation, as would ordinarily be the case,” the statement continued.
Trump also agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents and coordinating more closely with state authorities on immigration enforcement focused on violent crimes.
President Trump: “Governor Tim Walz called me with the request to work together with respect to Minnesota. It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength.” pic.twitter.com/A7BDw67B9x
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 26, 2026
That account lands awkwardly alongside the president’s own public messaging.
Just hours earlier, Trump had praised federal crackdowns in cities he said his administration had “touched,” calling them a success and insisting crime was “way down.” He also said Walz was “very happy” about Homan’s arrival, language Walz did not echo.
The call followed days of escalating tension after Pretti, a 37-year-old Minnesota resident, was shot and killed during an immigration operation. The shooting, filmed by bystanders, appears to contradict early federal accounts and has fueled protests, legislative threats, and renewed scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics.
Trump earlier said his administration was “reviewing everything” related to the shooting and suggested federal agents might eventually pull back.
“At some point we will leave,” he said. “We’ve done, they’ve done a phenomenal job.”
‼️ STATEMENT FROM WALZ ON TRUMP CALL: pic.twitter.com/eO6sJH8HWn
— Maine (@TheMaineWonk) January 26, 2026
But that assurance was quickly undercut. Asked whether the White House planned to de-escalate tensions in Minnesota, one Trump administration official offered a blunt response: “Hell no.”
Walz’s office also pushed back on a long-standing White House talking point that states like Minnesota refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
“The Governor reminded President Trump that the Minnesota Department of Corrections already honors federal detainers,” the statement said, noting there is “not a single documented case” of the state releasing someone from prison without offering to transfer custody to ICE.
The split narratives come as Washington braces for broader fallout. Democrats are threatening to withdraw support for a previously negotiated deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security, putting roughly 75 percent of the federal government at risk of a partial shutdown later this week.
Trump has also floated invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act, which would allow the deployment of U.S. military forces domestically, a move that has only heightened alarm in Minnesota.
For now, Trump is calling the conversation a breakthrough. Walz is calling it a negotiation. And, the gap between those two descriptions remains unresolved.
