Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) on Wednesday said he regretted what he said about 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis this January.
Ranking member Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) pushed Mullin to respond to his statement blaming Pretti for his own death, saying he was a "deranged individual that came in to cause max damage" during Mullin's confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Mullin was selected by President Donald Trump to replace outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and was facing a number of serious questions from lawmakers.
"Those words probably should've been retracted," Mullin said. "I shouldn't have said that. I regret those statements."
Mullin referenced the ongoing investigation. Peters pressed on whether he would issue an apology to Pretti's family.
"I went out there too fast," Mullin added.
He also said he would 'absolutely' apologize if the investigation proved his claims were wrong.
PETERS: You called Alex Pretti 'a deranged individual that came in to cause max damage.' Can we expect those kind of quick responses if you are confirmed as secretary?
MARKWAYNE MULLIN: No sir. Those words probably should've been retracted. I shouldn't have said that. I regret… pic.twitter.com/f2uUaQFwwb
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2026