President Donald Trump is striking a noticeably softer tone toward Minnesota’s Democratic governor Tim Walz as political pressure mounts following the fatal shooting of a state resident by a federal immigration agent.
Trump said Monday that he had a “very good call” with Gov. Walz, a sharp shift from recent days when he accused Walz of fueling unrest as thousands of federal immigration officers surged into the state. The comment came as the White House faces growing questions about the scope and duration of federal enforcement operations in Minnesota following the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
“It was a very good call, and we actually seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, according to Scripps News.
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
Pretti was shot and killed over the weekend by a federal immigration agent during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Multiple bystander videos of the incident quickly circulated online, raising doubts about early federal descriptions of what happened. Pretti was later identified as a Department of Veterans Affairs nurse who had advocated for immigrant communities.
The shooting has ignited protests across the Twin Cities and intensified tensions between federal officers and local officials already locked in a public standoff with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement.
Trump confirmed that he is sending his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minnesota to oversee Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations on the ground. The White House said Homan will lead federal efforts in the state.
According to Trump, Walz welcomed the move.
Minnesota believes in law and order. We believe in peace. And we believe that Trump needs to pull his 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another American in the street.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 25, 2026
“He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I!” Trump wrote, praising enforcement efforts in Washington, D.C., Memphis, and New Orleans while claiming crime has dropped in areas targeted by federal operations.
The warmer rhetoric stands in contrast to Trump’s remarks just days earlier, when he accused Walz of “inciting insurrection” as protests grew following Pretti’s death.
In an interview on Sunday, Trump suggested his administration is now “reviewing everything” related to the shooting. He also floated the possibility that federal agents could eventually leave Minnesota.
“At some point we will leave,” Trump said. “They’ve done a phenomenal job,” he added, referring to federal officers.
The apparent recalibration comes amid escalating political fallout in Washington. Democrats are threatening to withdraw support for a previously negotiated funding agreement for the Department of Homeland Security following the Minnesota shooting. Roughly 75% of the federal government is tied to the broader funding package, and current funding expires later this week.
Just stop. Enough is enough. President Trump and Kristi Noem need to call ICE agents back.
We stand with the people of Minnesota. President Trump needs to listen to Governor Walz and end this operation now. pic.twitter.com/W9FnxUHGYR
— Governor Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) January 24, 2026
That has raised the prospect of a partial federal government shutdown, injecting immigration enforcement in Minnesota directly into a high-stakes budget fight.
Trump’s remarks have done little to calm anger on the ground. Protests intensified after the earlier killing of Renee Good, who was shot by an ICE officer earlier this month, deepening resentment toward federal agents operating in the state.
Walz and other Minnesota officials have pushed back against federal tactics, warning that aggressive enforcement has destabilized communities and strained local resources. In response to the subpoenas and investigations tied to enforcement operations, Walz has accused the administration of politicizing federal law enforcement.
For now, Trump’s praise of Walz and hints at a future drawdown mark a notable tonal shift, even as federal agents remain deployed.
