White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday declined to defend senior aide Stephen Miller after he blasted slain Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti as an “assassin” who tried to murder federal agents in the wake of the controversial Border Patrol killing — a characterization made before any public investigation and widely disputed as misleading. During a terse briefing, Leavitt stressed that President Trump himself has not used that language and emphasized the administration wants the facts to guide the ongoing inquiry, even as federal officials’ early claims about Pretti’s intentions have faced blowback amid video evidence and growing calls for transparency.
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Leavitt refuses to back Miller’s ‘assassin’ smear in deadly Pretti shooting Leavitt refuses to back Miller’s ‘assassin’ smear in deadly Pretti shooting
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