White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has reversed his earlier statement about border agents who killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti, calling into question whether they were following proper protocol. In a recent statement, Miller admitted that the Department of Homeland Security was given clear guidance on how to use extra personnel for force protection, but acknowledged that the Customs and Border Protection team may not have been following that protocol.
Miller's about-face comes after bipartisan criticism over the killing of Pretti, who was shot by border agents in Minnesota on January 24. This is the second time in 17 days that an anti-immigration enforcement protester has been killed in the state. An initial review found that Pretti had been carrying a loaded gun and refused to move out of the street after receiving verbal requests to do so, but also claimed that a struggle ensued during which Pretti's gun misfired.
Video footage shows that at least 10 shots were fired by border agents during the incident, although it is unclear if Pretti's gun misfired as well. Miller had previously described Pretti as an "assassin" and a "domestic terrorist," but his revised statement appears to be an effort to clarify the circumstances surrounding Pretti's death.
Miller also claimed that his initial disparaging remarks about Pretti were based on reports from CBP personnel on the ground, but this explanation has not been confirmed. The incident has raised questions about police accountability and the use of force by border agents, with many calling for greater transparency and oversight in these matters.
Miller's about-face comes after bipartisan criticism over the killing of Pretti, who was shot by border agents in Minnesota on January 24. This is the second time in 17 days that an anti-immigration enforcement protester has been killed in the state. An initial review found that Pretti had been carrying a loaded gun and refused to move out of the street after receiving verbal requests to do so, but also claimed that a struggle ensued during which Pretti's gun misfired.
Video footage shows that at least 10 shots were fired by border agents during the incident, although it is unclear if Pretti's gun misfired as well. Miller had previously described Pretti as an "assassin" and a "domestic terrorist," but his revised statement appears to be an effort to clarify the circumstances surrounding Pretti's death.
Miller also claimed that his initial disparaging remarks about Pretti were based on reports from CBP personnel on the ground, but this explanation has not been confirmed. The incident has raised questions about police accountability and the use of force by border agents, with many calling for greater transparency and oversight in these matters.
... So Miller's saying that the DHS was given guidance on how to handle situations like this, but somehow it got botched? And now he's backtracking on his earlier statements about Pretti being an "assassin"? That's just weird. Did he really think it was okay to call someone a terrorist based on some CBP reports? 
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. Can't trust what he says anymore. And what about those border agents? Firing 10 shots?! That's insane! No wonder people are saying they need more training and oversight 
. I don't care who's in charge or what protocol they follow, if someone gets shot by a group of agents, that's a huge deal 
. And another protester killed just 17 days later? What's going on?! We can't just sit back and let this keep happening 
. Something needs to change, and fast 
.
... meanwhile those border agents get to just carry on with their jobs like nothing happened. and honestly who's gonna hold them accountable for shooting an innocent nurse? it's not like there's gonna be any consequences for that kind of thing. the system is rigged, plain and simple 
... I think we can all learn from it though. The fact that someone's life was lost due to a misunderstanding or miscommunication is just heartbreaking. It makes me think about how important it is to listen carefully and ask questions before taking action. We don't know the whole story here, but it's clear that there were some serious errors on both sides. Miller's reversal of his statement shows that even those in power can make mistakes and learn from them. The real tragedy is that we lost an innocent person, Alex Pretti 
... let's hope that this incident leads to more transparency and accountability, so something like this never happens again 
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... I'm not sure what the deal is with that, but maybe it was a mistake? 
... The fact that the DHS got clear guidance on force protection but still messed up is pretty concerning, though 
... And what's with all these anti-immigration protesters getting killed in Minnesota lately? 
... Miller should've just stuck to saying he didn't know the details instead of trying to justify his own words 
... Now it's just confusing 
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