The first sign of trouble came on Monday morning. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, one of Donald Trump’s former defense attorneys, appeared on Fox News to defend the administration’s response to federal agents shooting and killing Alex Pretti two days earlier. Fox & Friends co-host Griff Jenkins began by asking whether the victim’s actions constituted “domestic terrorism.”
Blanche dodged the question, noting that the matter was still being investigated and adding that he didn’t want to “prejudge” — despite prominent members of Team Trump having already tried to establish a ridiculous counternarrative in which Pretti was the villain.
When Jenkins reiterated the underlying question and suggested the victim’s actions did not appear to meet the “definition of domestic terrorism,” the deputy attorney general said he didn’t think anyone in the administration was comparing the Pretti incident to the definition of domestic terrorism.
Roughly 48 hours earlier, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a press conference in which she told a national television audience, “When you perpetuate violence against a government because of ideological reasons and for reasons to resist and perpetuate violence, that is the definition of domestic terrorism. This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism.”
Noem’s attempt to smear the victim was wholly detached from reality; but just as notably, Blanche’s on-air comments suggested the Justice Department wanted nothing to do with the DHS secretary’s ugly nonsense.
A few hours later, at White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s briefing, conditions deteriorated further for Noem and another key member of Team Trump who read from a similar script.
A reporter noted that Noem had accused Pretti of committing an act of “domestic terrorism” at about the same time that deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller also labeled the victim a “domestic terrorist.” This led to a simple question: “Does the president agree with them?”
Leavitt replied, “I have not heard the president characterize Mr. Pretti in that way.”
It was a simple answer that spoke volumes. In the broader context, it appeared to be the White House’s way of effectively saying that while some people might have been irresponsible, Trump hasn’t stooped to the level of others on his own team.
As a factual matter, that the president adopted an above-the-fray posture is plainly at odds with what actually happened, but Leavitt’s comment nevertheless suggested that the White House has decided to hang Noem and Miller out to dry, rather than try to defend their indefensible rhetoric.
During the same press briefing, a reporter also asked whether Miller intends to apologize to Pretti’s family after having publicly called the victim an “assassin.” Leavitt didn’t answer the question.
As striking as it was to see the White House put some distance between the president and prominent members of his own operation — an unusual step that reflects the increasingly chaotic conditions within the administration — let’s not forget that after Miller falsely claimed via social media that Pretti was “an assassin who tried to murder federal agents,” none other than JD Vance decided to amplify the message, as if the smear had merit.
Perhaps the White House could offer some clarity about whether the vice president might apologize to the victim’s family, too?
