Donald Trump meets with Kristi Noem for two hours as administration faces pressure over Minneapolis shootings

President Donald Trump spent nearly two hours in a closed-door Oval Office meeting on Monday night with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, according to two sources familiar with the discussion. Noem had requested the face-to-face conversation. The meeting followed signs that the administration is scaling back its aggressive federal response in Minneapolis after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday, the second death involving federal agents in the city this month.

Sources said Trump did not raise the possibility of dismissing either Noem or Lewandowski. Instead, the conversation focused on how to press forward with the president’s immigration policies in Minnesota as criticism mounts nationally, including from within the Republican Party, and tensions escalate locally. Several senior White House officials were also present, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Communications Director Steven Cheung. The New York Times first reported the meeting.

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While the White House declined to comment directly, an administration official reiterated Trump’s continued backing of Noem. In the aftermath of Pretti’s killing, federal officials circulated multiple claims that have since been challenged by video evidence or remain unsubstantiated. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, who had overseen immigration enforcement efforts in Minneapolis, engaged in public disputes online, asserting that Pretti attacked federal officers before being shot.

Bovino’s social media accounts were suspended by DHS on Monday, and he is expected to depart Minneapolis on Tuesday after Trump announced that border czar Tom Homan would take over leadership of the operation. Speaking on Fox News, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that Trump and Noem have held extended discussions but declined to share details. She stressed that Noem will remain in charge of the department and welcomed Homan’s involvement in overseeing operations in the city.

The federal investigation into Saturday’s shooting is being led by Homeland Security Investigations, with support from the FBI. However, authorities have released few details, and the Justice Department has not initiated a civil rights probe. Meanwhile, officials have established a crisis coordination center in Minneapolis focused on investigating protest activity.