Graham Defends Noem and Miller Amid Growing GOP Criticism Over Minneapolis Shooting

Senator Lindsey Graham has come to the defense of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller after fellow Republican Senator Thom Tillis called for Noem’s dismissal over comments made following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis.

Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, became the first GOP senator to publicly demand Noem’s removal after she and Miller labeled Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse killed during immigration enforcement operations, as a “domestic terrorist.”

“What she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job,” Tillis told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s just amateur-ish. It’s terrible. It’s making the president look bad on policy that he won on.”

Tillis particularly criticized Noem and Miller for characterizing Pretti as a terrorist “before they even had an incident report,” calling it “amateur hour at its worst.”

Graham, a longtime Trump ally, fired back at Tillis, suggesting his Republican colleague was overestimating his influence with the president.

“To convince yourself that you can get Trump to distance himself from Stephen Miller, you must have a very high opinion of yourself,” Graham told Fox News. “I’ve known Stephen Miller for a very long time. We have our differences, but we have more in common.”

The South Carolina senator emphasized Miller’s loyalty to Trump, saying, “When the clock strikes midnight for President Trump, there will be very few by his side. One will be Stephen Miller. If you don’t get that, you’ve missed a lot.”

The controversy stems from the Saturday shooting of Alex Pretti, who was recording federal immigration operations in Minneapolis when he was confronted by agents. According to reports, Pretti appeared to be attempting to help a woman who had been knocked down when agents sprayed him with an irritant, pushed him to the ground, and beat him. An agent was seen removing Pretti’s lawfully owned gun from his waistband before other agents fired multiple shots, killing him.

In the aftermath, Noem quickly characterized Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” while Miller described him as a “would-be assassin” – claims that have sparked significant bipartisan criticism as they remain unsubstantiated.

The White House has attempted to distance itself from these comments, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noting she has “not heard the president characterize” Pretti in those terms.

Despite growing calls from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to remove Noem over her handling of the situation, President Trump has publicly expressed confidence in her leadership at the Department of Homeland Security.

“I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is totally secure,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. When asked specifically about Noem and Miller’s characterization of Pretti, the president said, “Well, I haven’t heard that. He shouldn’t have been carrying a gun.”

Trump did acknowledge the seriousness of the incident, describing it as a “very sad situation” and calling for “a very honorable and honest investigation” that he wants to review personally.

The Minneapolis shooting has created rare alignment among major news outlets across the political spectrum, with the New York Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post all questioning the Trump administration’s handling of the immigration operation that led to Pretti’s death.

As pressure mounts from both Democrats and Republicans over the incident and its aftermath, the controversy highlights growing tensions within GOP ranks over immigration enforcement tactics and messaging under the second Trump administration.