Trump scrambles to 'de-escalate' as immigration crackdown sparks backlash he can’t control

President Donald Trump is suddenly realizing Democrats have boxed him in over the explosive immigration crackdown in Minnesota, Greg Sargent argued in The New Republic, prompting a cosmetic “pivot” meant to calm outrage without changing anything meaningful. While the White House is leaking talk of cooperation and de-escalation after deadly ICE operations in Minneapolis, Sargent writes that Trump is merely scapegoating one Border Patrol official while protecting everyone else involved — including top DHS leadership — from accountability. The real shift, Sargent notes, isn’t policy but political fear: Democrats are unified, public opinion has turned sharply, and Trump knows they now have leverage to force limits on DHS funding. The result is a frantic attempt to cool tempers and preserve the status quo, even as the fallout from the crackdown grows beyond his ability to manage or spin.

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