Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Briefs Members of the Media, Jan. 26, 2026

[00:00:07] Good afternoon. [00:00:08] >> Good afternoon, Jackie. Thank you for [00:00:09] that. Thanks for coming in on a snow day [00:00:12] for the rest of the government in the [00:00:13] country. And as much of the country [00:00:15] feels the impacts of that winter storm, [00:00:18] President Trump continues to monitor the [00:00:20] situation closely, and he has remained [00:00:22] in constant contact with FEMA and [00:00:24] emergency responders. President Trump [00:00:27] also quickly approved 12 federal [00:00:29] emergency disaster declarations within [00:00:32] 24 hours for the states of Arkansas, [00:00:35] Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, [00:00:38] Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, [00:00:41] South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and [00:00:43] West Virginia, enabling these states to [00:00:46] access critical federal resources to [00:00:48] supplement their response efforts if [00:00:50] needed. These declarations will help [00:00:52] state-led efforts of turning power back [00:00:54] on, clearing roads for emergency [00:00:56] services, and keeping communities safe. [00:00:59] The White House will continue to [00:01:01] correspond directly with governors and [00:01:03] local officials in the coming days, [00:01:05] especially in those states that were [00:01:07] harshly impacted by this storm. I would [00:01:10] also like to address the chaotic scenes [00:01:12] in Minnesota over the weekend. Nobody in [00:01:15] the White House, including President [00:01:17] Trump, wants to see people getting hurt [00:01:19] or killed in America's streets. This [00:01:22] includes Renee Good, Alex Prey, the [00:01:25] brave men and women of federal law [00:01:27] enforcement, and the many Americans who [00:01:29] have been victimized at the hands of [00:01:32] illegal alien criminals. Saturday's [00:01:35] shooting remains under active [00:01:36] investigation by Homeland Security [00:01:38] Investigations and the FBI. The Customs [00:01:41] and Border Protection is also conducting [00:01:44] their own internal review. As President [00:01:46] Trump said yesterday, the administration [00:01:49] is reviewing everything with respect to [00:01:51] the shooting and we will let that [00:01:52] investigation play out. But let's be [00:01:55] clear about the circumstances which led [00:01:57] to that moment on Saturday. This tragedy [00:02:00] occurred as a result of a deliberate and [00:02:02] hostile resistance by Democrat leaders [00:02:05] in Minnesota. For weeks, Governor Waltz [00:02:08] and the mayor, Jacob Fry, and other [00:02:10] elected Democrats were spreading lies [00:02:12] about federal law enforcement officers [00:02:14] who are risking their lives daily to [00:02:17] remove the worst criminal illegal aliens [00:02:20] from our streets. Murderers, rapists, [00:02:23] pedophiles, human traffickers, and gang [00:02:26] members. Governor Waltz and Mayor Fry [00:02:28] have shamefully blocked local and state [00:02:30] police from cooperating with ICE, [00:02:33] actively inhibiting efforts to arrest [00:02:35] violent criminals. They have also used [00:02:37] their platforms to encourage left-wing [00:02:39] agitators to stalk, record, confront, [00:02:42] and obstruct federal officers who were [00:02:45] just trying to lawfully perform their [00:02:47] duties, which has created dangerous [00:02:50] situations threatening both these [00:02:51] officers and the general public and [00:02:54] motans alike. This is precisely what [00:02:57] unfolded in Minneapolis on Saturday [00:03:00] morning. Obstructing federal law [00:03:02] enforcement and inciting violence [00:03:03] against officers is wrong and illegal. [00:03:06] This used to be a universally accepted [00:03:09] position in the United States. Amid the [00:03:12] hysteria, we must remember how we got [00:03:14] here to this moment today and what this [00:03:17] Democrat opposition is about. Former [00:03:19] President Joe Biden and the Democrats [00:03:21] opened America's borders for four years, [00:03:24] inviting tens of millions of illegal [00:03:26] aliens from all over the world to flood [00:03:29] into our country. Among them, violent [00:03:32] criminals who terrorized American [00:03:34] communities and have inflicted [00:03:36] devastating permanent pain and harm on [00:03:39] law-abiding Americans and their [00:03:41] families. Yet, we never saw outrage from [00:03:44] Democrats or their allies in the liberal [00:03:46] media over these horrifying crimes [00:03:49] against US citizens. The pain of [00:03:51] American angel families was ignored and [00:03:54] dismissed because it undermined the [00:03:56] Democrat narrative. Innocent Americans [00:03:58] like Joselyn Nungre, Lake Riley, and [00:04:01] Rachel Morren are just a few of the many [00:04:03] victims savagely murdered by illegal [00:04:06] alien criminals. Earlier this month, an [00:04:09] illegal alien from Mexico with a long [00:04:11] criminal history who came into our [00:04:13] country under Joe Biden's administration [00:04:15] threw a baseball-sized stone at a school [00:04:18] bus carrying children in New Jersey and [00:04:21] fractured the skull of an 8-year-old [00:04:23] innocent child. President Trump promised [00:04:26] accountability to these American [00:04:28] families by securing the border, [00:04:30] deporting every illegal alien who has [00:04:33] committed crimes, especially and most [00:04:35] importantly violent crimes. Nearly 80 [00:04:38] million Americans voted for him to [00:04:40] deliver on that very promise. And he is. [00:04:43] As the dulyeleed president, the [00:04:45] president is fulfilling the will of the [00:04:47] people by arresting and removing these [00:04:49] threats from our country in cities from [00:04:51] Los Angeles to New York and yes, [00:04:54] Minneapolis. Yet, Democrat leaders in [00:04:56] Minnesota with sanctuary city policies [00:04:58] have actively defied federal immigration [00:05:01] law and the will of the people. And as a [00:05:04] result of that defiant defiance, two [00:05:07] motans have now tragically lost their [00:05:09] lives on the streets of Tim Waltz's [00:05:12] state. It is President Trump's hope and [00:05:14] wish and demand for the resistance and [00:05:17] chaos to end today. That's why President [00:05:20] Trump spoke with Governor Waltz directly [00:05:22] this morning and he has outlined a clear [00:05:24] and simple path to restoring law and [00:05:27] order in Minnesota. Number one, Governor [00:05:30] Waltz, Mayor Fry, and all Democrat [00:05:32] leaders should turn over all criminal [00:05:34] illegal aliens currently incarcerated in [00:05:37] their prisons and jails to federal [00:05:39] authorities along with any illegal [00:05:41] aliens with active warrants or known [00:05:43] criminal histories for immediate [00:05:45] deportation. [00:05:47] Number two, state and local law [00:05:49] enforcement must agree to turn over all [00:05:51] illegal aliens who are arrested by local [00:05:54] police. And then thirdly, local police [00:05:58] must assist federal law enforcement in [00:06:00] apprehending and detaining illegal [00:06:02] aliens who are wanted for crimes, [00:06:05] especially violent crimes. If Governor [00:06:08] Walsh and Mayor Fry implement these [00:06:09] common sense cooperative measures that I [00:06:12] will add have already been implemented [00:06:14] in nearly every single other state [00:06:16] across the country, Customs and Border [00:06:19] Patrol will not be needed to support ICE [00:06:21] on the ground in Minnesota. ICE and [00:06:23] local law enforcement can peacefully [00:06:25] work together as they are effectively [00:06:27] doing in so many other states and [00:06:29] jurisdictions. [00:06:31] Additionally, President Trump is calling [00:06:33] on the United States Congress to [00:06:34] immediately pass legislation ending [00:06:37] sanctuary cities once and for all. [00:06:40] American cities should be safe [00:06:41] sanctuaries for law-abiding citizens [00:06:44] only, not for dangerous, illegal alien [00:06:46] criminals who broke our nation's laws [00:06:48] and do not belong here. We hope Governor [00:06:51] Walls will continue will do the right [00:06:53] thing and continue to work with [00:06:54] President Trump to keep the American [00:06:56] people safe following their call this [00:06:58] morning. Americans overwhelmingly want [00:07:01] exactly what President Trump is [00:07:03] delivering. Strong borders and strict [00:07:05] immigration enforcement against the [00:07:07] worst illegal aliens of which there are [00:07:10] still hundreds of thousands to deport [00:07:12] from the interior of our country. The [00:07:15] most peaceful way to carry out this [00:07:16] vital public safety mission is for [00:07:18] Republicans and Democrats to do it [00:07:20] together and for state and local law [00:07:23] enforcement to work together with [00:07:25] federal law enforcement. We want to let [00:07:27] cops be cops. You wouldn't know this [00:07:30] continues to be a very popular policy [00:07:32] position from the biased media coverage [00:07:34] over the course of the last few days, [00:07:36] but polling shows huge support for this [00:07:39] exact thing President Trump is calling [00:07:41] for. More than 80% of Americans favor [00:07:44] deporting illegal aliens convicted of [00:07:46] violent crimes. A country unable to [00:07:48] deport criminals who enter it illegally [00:07:51] is no country at all. The open borders [00:07:54] agenda of Kala Harris, Tim Walls, and [00:07:56] the Democrats was already on the ballot [00:07:58] on November 5th, 2024, and it was [00:08:01] resoundingly rejected. President Trump [00:08:04] will never back down from his promise to [00:08:06] deport violent criminal illegal aliens [00:08:08] and make America safe again. And he [00:08:10] welcomes all cooperation in that effort. [00:08:12] With that, I will answer your questions. [00:08:14] And Jordan Conradson, why don't you kick [00:08:16] us off today? Thank you for being here. [00:08:17] >> Thank you, Caroline. Uh Jordan Conradson [00:08:19] with Gateway P. I have a few questions. [00:08:21] First, with the respect with respect to [00:08:23] the shooting in Minneapolis, we're [00:08:25] seeing massive outrage from mainstream [00:08:27] media and the left, but I'm I'm just [00:08:29] wondering where was that outrage when [00:08:30] Ashley Babbot, an Air Force veteran, was [00:08:33] executed by [clears throat] Capitol [00:08:35] Police officer Michael Bird, who she [00:08:37] posed no threat to in the US capital. [00:08:39] Well, you raised a very important point [00:08:41] which I also believed I just raised as [00:08:43] well in those opening remarks in that [00:08:45] there has no doubt been selective [00:08:47] outrage by the liberal biased media and [00:08:50] picking and choosing victims uh and [00:08:52] highlighting their stories. And as I've [00:08:54] said, President Trump does not want any [00:08:56] Americans to lose their lives in the [00:08:58] streets of America and in American [00:09:00] communities across the country. He [00:09:02] believes what happened on Saturday is a [00:09:04] tragedy. Uh but every life uh is equal [00:09:06] to President Trump and that's why the [00:09:08] lives of Lake Riley and Jocelyn Nungre [00:09:10] continue to matter to him and be an [00:09:13] utmost priority to him to this very day. [00:09:15] Uh and it's unfortunate that we did not [00:09:17] see the same type of sensationalist [00:09:19] media coverage over the tragic deaths of [00:09:21] those innocent American women and girls [00:09:24] across the country as we are in the wake [00:09:26] of this tragedy that took place on [00:09:28] Saturday. Caroline, [00:09:29] >> sure. Go ahead. [00:09:31] >> I want to get your response to this. the [00:09:33] Arizona attorney general just days [00:09:35] before this shooting in Minneapolis, she [00:09:37] seemingly encouraged uh riers to go out, [00:09:41] shoot, and kill ICE agents. And I I'll [00:09:43] quote her here. She said, "If you [00:09:44] reasonably believe your life's in danger [00:09:46] and you're in the house or in your car [00:09:48] or on your property, you can defend [00:09:50] yourself with lethal force." And she [00:09:52] said that you can't tell if ICE agents [00:09:56] are law enforcement or imposters. And it [00:09:58] becomes an issue of whether you [00:09:59] reasonably believed they were law [00:10:01] enforcement. Do you have a response to [00:10:02] that? And does the White House believe [00:10:04] that she should be held accountable for [00:10:06] >> Well, such dangerous rhetoric, as I [00:10:08] pointed out, is exactly what has brought [00:10:10] us to this position today where you have [00:10:12] elected Democrat officials across the [00:10:14] country who are encouraging left-wing [00:10:17] agitators uh and crazy people to go out [00:10:20] and unlawfully obstruct lawful [00:10:22] immigration enforcement. Again, these [00:10:25] brave men and women of ICE and Border [00:10:27] Patrol and the federal enforcement are [00:10:29] just trying to do their jobs to enforce [00:10:30] our nation's immigration laws and to go [00:10:33] after the worst of the worst in this [00:10:34] country. I would encourage everyone in [00:10:36] this room and I would encourage uh the [00:10:38] Arizona attorney general to look at the [00:10:40] video of of an ICE agent in in [00:10:42] Minneapolis. He was uh approached by [00:10:46] left-wing agitators who were honking [00:10:47] their horns and were uh uh screaming uh [00:10:51] slurs at him. and he rolled down his [00:10:53] window and he said, "What are you doing? [00:10:55] I am out here trying to catch a child [00:10:58] predator, somebody who has convicted [00:11:00] crimes against a innocent child, and you [00:11:03] are trying to obstruct me from doing my [00:11:05] job." Uh, this rhetoric against ICE, [00:11:08] comparing them to Nazi Gustapo, Donald [00:11:10] Trump's police force, is despicable. It [00:11:12] is shameful, and it is precisely what [00:11:14] has led to the escalation of tensions in [00:11:17] Minneapolis and in other places across [00:11:18] the country. [00:11:20] >> Go ahead. you know her for justifying [00:11:23] violence. [00:11:23] >> I would defer you to the Department of [00:11:25] Justice on that. [00:11:25] >> Thank you, Caroline. Regarding uh [00:11:27] Minnesota, on Saturday, the Department [00:11:28] of Homeland Security posted that Prey [00:11:31] looks like he wanted to do maximum [00:11:33] damage and massacre law enforcement. [00:11:35] Steven Miller on Saturday posted that or [00:11:38] called Prey a wouldbe assassin. Why did [00:11:41] administration officials jump to [00:11:43] conclusions before an investigation had [00:11:46] even been conducted? Well, look, this [00:11:48] has obviously been a very fluid and [00:11:50] fast-moving situation throughout the [00:11:52] weekend. As for President Trump, whom I [00:11:54] speak for, uh, he has said that he wants [00:11:56] to let the investigation continue and [00:11:58] let the facts lead in this case. [00:12:00] >> With regards to the deployment of Tom [00:12:03] Hman to Minneapolis, should the [00:12:05] deployment of Mr. Hman to Minneapolis be [00:12:08] seen as a sign that the president is [00:12:10] dissatisfied with how the officials on [00:12:14] the ground had handled the incident? [00:12:16] >> No. Uh, Mr. Mr. Hman is doing an [00:12:17] exceptional job and he has been working [00:12:19] with Secretary Gnome and President Trump [00:12:21] over the course of the last year. [00:12:23] Secretary Gnome still has the utmost [00:12:24] confidence and trust of the President of [00:12:26] the United States uh and she's [00:12:28] continuing to oversee the entire [00:12:29] Department of Homeland Security and all [00:12:31] of the immigration enforcement that's [00:12:33] taking place across the whole entire [00:12:35] country. Of course, Secretary Noom is [00:12:37] also in charge of FEMA and we are in the [00:12:38] wake of a brutal winter storm where [00:12:40] hundreds of thousands of Americans have [00:12:42] been impacted by that. So, uh, secret, [00:12:44] uh, borders our homeman is in a unique [00:12:46] position to drop everything and go to [00:12:48] Minnesota to continue having these [00:12:51] productive conversations with state and [00:12:53] local officials. And I know that he's [00:12:55] catching a plane in just a few hours to [00:12:57] do just that at the at the request of [00:12:59] the president. Jennifer, [00:13:00] >> on Saturday shooting, have has the [00:13:02] president been briefed and have you been [00:13:03] briefed on specific details of the [00:13:06] shooting? How many shots were fired? How [00:13:08] many guns discharged? I I mean, did the [00:13:10] protesters gun go off or only the [00:13:13] officers guns? Do you have any of those [00:13:15] details? [00:13:16] >> Again, the investigation is continuing, [00:13:18] Jennifer, and we will let the facts lead [00:13:20] and we will let the facts play out in [00:13:21] this investigation. I do know that uh [00:13:23] HSI and FBI are conducting interviews [00:13:26] with those that were involved in the [00:13:28] agents who were involved in this [00:13:29] unfortunate tragedy on Saturday. [00:13:31] >> Are they the president up to date on all [00:13:33] those details? [00:13:33] >> The president is obviously very much on [00:13:35] the ball with respect to this [00:13:36] investigation. I think he's made that [00:13:38] quite clear uh with the various [00:13:40] statements that you've seen him put out [00:13:41] and also the four points that the [00:13:43] president has outlined uh as well to [00:13:45] Governor Walsh and to encourage him to [00:13:48] cooperate with ICE and with the [00:13:49] administration. Mary, [00:13:50] >> thanks Caroline. Uh to follow on Gab's [00:13:52] question, Secretary Gnome said Alex Prey [00:13:54] committed an act of domestic terrorism. [00:13:56] Steven Miller labeled Prey a domestic [00:13:58] terrorist. Does the president agree with [00:14:00] that? [00:14:00] >> Look, as I've said, I have not heard the [00:14:02] president characterize Mr. Prey in that [00:14:04] way. Uh, however, I have heard the [00:14:06] president say he wants to let the facts [00:14:08] in the investigation lead itself. [00:14:09] >> Was he alarmed to hear his top officials [00:14:11] referring to him in that way, rushing to [00:14:13] that judgment? [00:14:13] >> Denny, go ahead. [00:14:14] >> Thanks, Caroline. Um, on on Steven [00:14:15] Miller's comments, um, will Steven [00:14:17] Miller be apologizing to the family of [00:14:19] Alex Pretty for calling him uh, quotes [00:14:21] an assassin who tried to murder federal [00:14:24] agents despite the fact that, as you [00:14:25] say, this is still under investigation. [00:14:27] Look, again, this incident remains under [00:14:29] investigation and nobody here at the [00:14:31] White House, including the president of [00:14:33] the United States, wants to see [00:14:34] Americans hurt or killed and losing [00:14:36] their lives in American seat uh streets. [00:14:39] Uh and we we mourn for the parents. As a [00:14:42] mother myself, of course, I cannot [00:14:44] imagine uh the loss of life, especially [00:14:46] losing one's child. Um, and that same uh [00:14:50] empathy from the president goes for the [00:14:53] parents of angel families uh and parents [00:14:56] of victims of illegal alien crime across [00:14:58] our country as well. And that's exactly [00:15:00] why the president continues to be [00:15:02] wholeheartedly committed uh to deporting [00:15:04] the worst of the worst criminals from [00:15:06] our country. [00:15:07] >> Um why don't we go to the back? Kelly, [00:15:10] >> does the president believe that the [00:15:12] killing though was a mistake? Has he [00:15:14] expressed that at all? Again, the [00:15:16] president has said, you know, we have to [00:15:18] review it and they're invest this [00:15:20] investigation needs to continue and he's [00:15:22] uh letting the facts on the [00:15:24] investigation lead itself. [00:15:25] >> Does he want body camera footage to be [00:15:27] released to the public? Now, [00:15:30] >> that's not something I've heard the [00:15:31] president commit to, so I won't do that [00:15:32] from the podium. [00:15:34] >> Sure. Um, Kelly, um, how serious is the [00:15:37] administration taking allegations that [00:15:39] local and state officials in Minnesota [00:15:41] are actively coordinating with [00:15:43] demonstrators through encrypted or non- [00:15:45] encrypted communications as well as [00:15:47] providing government resources to impede [00:15:49] immigration enforcement operations? [00:15:52] >> I'm sorry, Carrie, could you repeat your [00:15:53] question? How serious is the [00:15:55] administration taking allegations that [00:15:57] local and state uh Minnesota officials [00:16:00] are communicating with demonstrators to [00:16:02] co to basically impede uh immigration [00:16:06] officials? [00:16:06] >> Well, we've definitely seen active [00:16:08] organization amongst these leftwing [00:16:10] groups, Carrie, and it is something that [00:16:11] I know the FBI and the Department of [00:16:13] Justice are looking into. Again, it is [00:16:15] illegal to unlawfully obstruct lawful [00:16:18] immigration enforcement in this country. [00:16:20] And these agitators are making it nearly [00:16:23] impossible for ICE to do their jobs and [00:16:25] for federal law enforcement to carry out [00:16:27] the will of the American people to [00:16:29] deport the worst of the worst. I would [00:16:31] just encourage everyone to please [00:16:32] imagine in this room all of you come to [00:16:35] the White House every day to report on [00:16:37] the president of the United States in [00:16:38] the administration. You come into this [00:16:40] briefing room, you walk through the [00:16:42] gates of the White House. Just imagine [00:16:43] if there were left-wing agitators or [00:16:45] agitators of any kind who were in your [00:16:48] face, who were doxing you, who were [00:16:50] harassing you, who were physically [00:16:51] threatening you, who were biting off [00:16:53] your fingers in the case of two Border [00:16:55] Patrol agents we saw this past weekend [00:16:57] in Minneapolis. Uh that would make it [00:16:59] very difficult for you to show up and do [00:17:01] your job here at the White House every [00:17:03] single day. That's what these officers [00:17:05] in Minneapolis are facing. That's why [00:17:07] the president is calling on Governor [00:17:08] Walls and Mayor Fry for these three very [00:17:11] simple and common sense points of [00:17:13] cooperation so that ICE and and local [00:17:16] law enforcement can work together. [00:17:17] Again, we are just asking for police to [00:17:20] be police. And if you ask any law [00:17:22] enforcement agent or official, they want [00:17:25] to be able to work with their federal [00:17:27] counterparts at the state and local [00:17:28] level and vice versa. [00:17:30] >> Caroline, [00:17:31] >> thanks a lot Caroline. Two questions. [00:17:33] Uh, one is looking forward the role of [00:17:36] Mr. Hman. Is he being sent by the [00:17:39] president to diffuse the situation that [00:17:42] exists right now on the ground? Is he [00:17:44] the point person essentially for the [00:17:46] White House in terms of trying to tamp [00:17:49] down the tensions that exist right now [00:17:50] in Minnesota? [00:17:51] >> Well, Mr. Coleman is the point person uh [00:17:54] for cooperating with state and local [00:17:56] authorities in in corresponding with [00:17:58] them again to achieve this level of [00:18:00] cooperation to subdue the chaos on the [00:18:03] streets of Minneapolis. And I would just [00:18:05] point out that Mr. Holman is someone who [00:18:07] has been lauded for many many decades [00:18:09] for his experience working in law [00:18:10] enforcement. In fact, this is a [00:18:12] Washington Post headline from nine years [00:18:15] ago 2016. Meet the man the White House [00:18:18] has honored for deporting illegal [00:18:19] immigrants. And I would remind everyone [00:18:21] in this room that it was former [00:18:22] President Barack Hussein Obama who [00:18:24] awarded a medal to Mr. H. Homeman. So, [00:18:26] uh, he's obviously very qualified. He [00:18:28] has the full trust and faith of the [00:18:30] president. Uh, he will continue to have [00:18:32] these meetings in the hopes that we ICE [00:18:34] and, uh, local law enforcement can [00:18:36] cooperate and work together to have [00:18:38] successful immigration enforcement as [00:18:40] we've seen in almost every other state [00:18:42] across the country. [00:18:44] >> Secondly, Caroline, can you talk a [00:18:46] little bit about tomorrow's trip by the [00:18:47] president to Iowa? what the purpose of [00:18:49] that trip is, what the goals of that [00:18:51] trip are. [00:18:52] >> Sure. Yes. Tomorrow, President Trump [00:18:54] will be traveling to De Moine, Iowa. Uh [00:18:56] he will be making a local visit at a [00:18:58] local business and then he will be [00:18:59] giving a speech uh on affordability and [00:19:01] on the economy and I know he very much [00:19:03] looks forward um to being there to [00:19:05] meeting with the great people of Iowa, [00:19:06] but also lawmakers as well. [00:19:09] >> Jake, [00:19:09] >> Caroline, couple quick questions. First, [00:19:11] does the president remain fully [00:19:13] confident in Christine's ability to lead [00:19:14] the DHS? And then just secondly, uh, [00:19:16] just on that Wall Street Journal [00:19:18] reporting that we saw yesterday, uh, the [00:19:20] president said at some point that the f [00:19:22] the immigration enforcement officers [00:19:23] would leave Minneapolis. Did the [00:19:24] Saturday killing of Alex Freddy expedite [00:19:27] that withdrawal at all? [00:19:28] >> U, to your first question, the answer is [00:19:31] yes. He still has confidence and trust [00:19:32] in Secretary Gnome. To the second [00:19:34] question, I would point you back to what [00:19:36] I said earlier. If Governor Wals and [00:19:38] Mayor Fry implement these common sense [00:19:40] cooperative measures, CBP will no longer [00:19:42] be needed to support ICE on the ground [00:19:44] in Minnesota. ICE and local law [00:19:46] enforcement will peacefully work [00:19:48] together as they are effectively doing [00:19:50] in so many other states and [00:19:51] jurisdictions to remove violent [00:19:53] criminals from American neighborhoods [00:19:54] across the country. [00:19:55] >> Walt to ask the president to remove the [00:19:57] immigration enforcement officers. [00:20:00] um he asked the president to scale down [00:20:02] and the president reiterated what the [00:20:04] president put out in his statement [00:20:06] yesterday and what I'm sharing with all [00:20:07] of you as well. I would just add on this [00:20:10] level of cooperation a few statistics [00:20:12] that I think are very important. Seven [00:20:14] of the top 10 safest cities in the [00:20:17] United States cooperate with ICE. And [00:20:19] we've seen historic turnaround in safety [00:20:22] in cities that have chosen to cooperate [00:20:24] with ICE that are not just led by [00:20:25] Republicans, but also look right here in [00:20:28] Washington DC. Uh we had a great level [00:20:30] of cooperation with Mayor Bowser in the [00:20:32] local government and we have been able [00:20:34] to remove thousands of illegal aliens [00:20:37] from the District of Columbia where you [00:20:39] all live live. So you can thank [00:20:40] President Trump for that. Uh the murder [00:20:42] rate in Washington DC has plummeted as a [00:20:45] result. There were no riots. There were [00:20:46] no protests. Nobody was was uh uh [00:20:49] tragically killed as a result of that [00:20:51] level of cooperation between federal and [00:20:53] local authorities. And again, that's all [00:20:55] the president is asking for in [00:20:56] Minnesota. It's totally common sense. [00:20:59] Jared, go ahead. [00:21:00] >> Thank you, Caroline. Um, in this [00:21:02] process, you continue to describe the [00:21:04] situation in Minneapolis as chaos. Was [00:21:07] there any mistake made by Secretary Noim [00:21:09] that led the president to send Mr. Hman [00:21:11] there? [00:21:12] >> Uh, I'm sorry, I don't understand your [00:21:14] question. Did Secretary Nome make a [00:21:16] mistake which led to [00:21:18] >> She made any mistake that could led the [00:21:19] president to send Mr. Homeman to [00:21:21] Minneapolis? [00:21:21] >> No. As I look, as I already mentioned, [00:21:24] uh, Mr. man has been working alongside [00:21:26] Secretary Gnome and for the president [00:21:27] over the course of the last year and [00:21:29] again he's uniquely positioned to hop on [00:21:31] a flight to Minnesota today to continue [00:21:34] this correspondence with state and local [00:21:36] authorities and that's what he's going [00:21:37] to be doing [00:21:38] >> Fran Caroline is it the White House's [00:21:41] position that Americans have the right [00:21:44] to show up to these ICE operations and [00:21:46] film document or protest the law [00:21:48] enforcement actions [00:21:49] >> all Americans have a first amendment [00:21:51] constitutional right of course uh But [00:21:54] Americans do not have a constitutional [00:21:56] right to impede and in obstruct uh [00:21:59] lawful uh immigration enforcement [00:22:01] operations. That is actually a crime and [00:22:04] it's something that we've seen taking [00:22:05] place in the streets of Minneapolis [00:22:07] which again is leading to these [00:22:09] dangerous circumstances that these [00:22:11] federal law enforcement officers have [00:22:12] been forced to work within. [00:22:14] >> To the call uh with Governor Walls this [00:22:17] morning. Uh the president described it [00:22:19] as respectful. He said, "We seem to be [00:22:21] on a similar wavelength, but you had [00:22:23] strong criticism for the governor and [00:22:26] the Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, just [00:22:28] now." So, could you explain the [00:22:30] difference in tone between what the [00:22:32] president had said in the in his true [00:22:33] social post and I think some of the [00:22:35] criticisms that you just levied through [00:22:36] the podium? Fran, I think the criticisms [00:22:38] that I laid out, I'm painting the [00:22:40] picture for all of you in this room, are [00:22:42] what led to the moment that we are in [00:22:44] today, where Governor Walls and [00:22:45] President Trump are having a [00:22:47] conversation, a constructive and [00:22:48] productive conversation to end the chaos [00:22:51] and the lawlessness that has taken place [00:22:52] in Governor Walsh's state. [00:22:56] >> Uh Elena, [00:22:57] >> thank you. Um, I had a question. With [00:23:00] Homeman now going to Minnesota, is [00:23:02] Gregory Bo also going to remain in [00:23:05] Minnesota overseeing these ICE [00:23:07] operations? [00:23:07] >> Mr. Boino is a wonderful man and he's a [00:23:10] great professional. Uh, he is going to [00:23:12] very much continue to lead customs and [00:23:14] border patrol uh throughout and across [00:23:16] the country. Mr. Hman will be the main [00:23:18] point of contact on the ground in [00:23:19] Minneapolis. And to follow up, um given [00:23:21] what we've heard from several Trump [00:23:23] administration officials, people like [00:23:24] Steven Miller, as people point out, [00:23:25] calling um him a domestic terrorist, but [00:23:28] you know, saying uh that Freddy was out [00:23:29] to massacre law enforcement. Why not [00:23:32] require ICE agents to wear body cameras [00:23:35] to [00:23:37] clear up some of the disputes that we [00:23:39] are hearing from witnesses and video [00:23:40] footage versus what the administration [00:23:42] has been saying? That's a policy [00:23:44] question that I know the policy folks in [00:23:46] the building are having with members on [00:23:48] Capitol Hill and I'll leave it to them [00:23:50] and the president to make that decision. [00:23:52] >> One final question is on you were [00:23:53] talking about the level of cooperation [00:23:55] that the president talked about with [00:23:56] Governor Waltz. Will the administration [00:23:59] commit to cooperating with local [00:24:01] officials on this investigation into [00:24:04] Alex Freddy? [00:24:05] >> Uh the president spoke about this with [00:24:07] Governor Walls and said he would have a [00:24:09] discussion about it. He did not make a [00:24:10] commitment and so therefore I won't make [00:24:12] that commitment here. I would just [00:24:14] remind all of you in the media because [00:24:15] I've seen the a lack of reporting on [00:24:17] this fact. There are investigations into [00:24:20] what took place on Saturday. The [00:24:21] Homeland Security Investigations and the [00:24:23] FBI have teamed up uh for an [00:24:25] investigation and there's also an [00:24:27] internal CBP investigation, an internal [00:24:30] review of what is happening on the [00:24:31] ground in Minnesota. The president [00:24:33] supports those investigations and as [00:24:34] I've said repeatedly, he wants to see [00:24:36] them move forward. Phil, [00:24:38] >> thank you. Caroline, FBI Director Cash [00:24:40] Patel said in a Sunday interview, quote, [00:24:42] "You cannot bring a firearm loaded with [00:24:44] multiple magazines to any sort of [00:24:46] protest. Does the president believe the [00:24:49] Second Amendment rights remain in effect [00:24:51] even when protesting?" [00:24:52] >> The president supports the Second [00:24:54] Amendment rights of law-abiding American [00:24:55] citizens. Absolutely. There has been no [00:24:58] greater supporter or defender uh of the [00:25:00] right to bear arms than President Donald [00:25:03] J. Trump. Uh so while Americans have a [00:25:06] constitutional right to bear arms, [00:25:07] Americans do not have a constitutional [00:25:09] right to impede lawful immigration [00:25:12] enforcement operations, uh and any gun [00:25:15] owner knows that when you uh are [00:25:17] carrying a weapon, when you are bearing [00:25:19] arms and you are confronted by law [00:25:21] enforcement, uh you are uh raising the [00:25:25] assumption of risk and the the uh risk [00:25:28] of of force being used against you. And [00:25:30] again, that's unfortunately what took [00:25:32] place on Saturday. is in Minneapolis. [00:25:34] Will his mission continue to be focusing [00:25:36] on illegal immigrants with a criminal [00:25:38] history, or will it be on illegal [00:25:40] immigration generally? [00:25:41] >> Mr. Homeman will continue to enforce our [00:25:43] nation's immigration laws, especially uh [00:25:46] deporting the worst of the worst [00:25:48] criminals in Minnesota who have [00:25:49] committed violent offenses. And I would [00:25:51] just remind all of you that this [00:25:53] important work is continuing to be [00:25:54] carried out. In just the last few days, [00:25:56] I'm happy to provide this packet to [00:25:58] anyone in the room. ICE has arrested uh [00:26:01] many mo uh multiple uh violent [00:26:04] criminals, illegal aliens within [00:26:05] Minnesota. Many of them have convictions [00:26:08] for assault, driving under the [00:26:10] influence, fraud. Uh this individual [00:26:12] here I'm looking at was an aggravated [00:26:14] felon with multiple convictions for [00:26:16] lararseny, fraud and forgery of checks, [00:26:18] vehicle theft, drug possession, domestic [00:26:20] assault, inflicting bodily harm on [00:26:22] another. Uh criminal convictions of [00:26:24] larseny, identity theft, again charged [00:26:27] with driving under the influence. These [00:26:29] are extremely dangerous people uh who [00:26:31] Governor Walls and Mayor Fry have [00:26:32] allowed to roam on their streets and all [00:26:34] the president is asking for is [00:26:35] cooperation to arrest individuals like [00:26:38] this and deport them from the United [00:26:40] States of America. [00:26:41] >> I'll take a couple more. Go ahead. [00:26:43] >> Okay, so this weekend the president [00:26:45] posted that this is a cover up of the [00:26:48] fraud in the state of Minnesota. He also [00:26:49] posted Minnesota is a cover up. These [00:26:52] both happened after the shooting. So [00:26:54] given that these came after the [00:26:55] shooting, what is the this here? What is [00:26:57] the cover up he's alleging? [00:26:58] >> Yes, it's a good question. I've spoken [00:27:00] with the president about this at length. [00:27:01] What the president is referring to is [00:27:03] the fact that you have Governor Walsh [00:27:05] and again the mayor who have been [00:27:08] encouraging these left-wing agitators to [00:27:10] come out uh and to harass and to docks [00:27:12] and to threaten ICE and to make this [00:27:14] conversation about uh and and smear lies [00:27:17] about federal law enforcement who again [00:27:19] are just trying to do their jobs in an [00:27:21] attempt to distract from the widespread [00:27:24] massive fraud that has taken place in [00:27:26] their state. billions and billions of [00:27:28] dollars has been stolen from law-abiding [00:27:31] taxpayers in Minnesota. Uh, and the [00:27:33] administration continues to be very [00:27:35] focused on getting to the bottom of it. [00:27:37] Uh, especially and the president raised [00:27:39] a good question over the weekend with [00:27:40] respect to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar who [00:27:42] now has a a net worth within the [00:27:44] millions. And one must ask themselves [00:27:47] why and how is that possible? Is she [00:27:49] connected to the fraud rings that we [00:27:51] have seen taking place within her state [00:27:53] and her own district? It's a question [00:27:55] the American people are raising and the [00:27:57] president believes it's one worth [00:27:58] answering. [00:28:00] >> Thanks Caroline. I want to go back to [00:28:01] some of the comments from Stephen Miller [00:28:03] and Secretary Noe. You've made clear the [00:28:05] president wants to see the investigation [00:28:07] play out when answering some of the [00:28:09] questions on the specific details. Is he [00:28:12] concerned that some of those definitive [00:28:14] statements made by other officials [00:28:17] public's perception of the credibility [00:28:19] of those investigations now playing out? [00:28:21] Again, the president believes that these [00:28:23] investigations are credible. They are [00:28:25] continuing. They are active, and he [00:28:26] wants to let them play out. Alex, thank [00:28:29] you. Is the is the administration [00:28:30] willing to separate DHS funding from [00:28:32] other funding bills in order to avoid a [00:28:35] broader shutdown? [00:28:36] >> Look, at this point, the White House [00:28:37] supports the bipartisan work that was [00:28:39] done to advance the bipartisan [00:28:41] appropriations package. Uh, and we want [00:28:43] to see that passed. Um, policy [00:28:45] discussions on immigration in Minnesota [00:28:47] are happening. Look, the president is [00:28:48] leading those discussions as evidenced [00:28:50] by his correspondence with Governor [00:28:52] Walls this morning. Uh but that should [00:28:53] not be at the expense of government [00:28:55] funding for the American people. Uh [00:28:57] which would include, as you know, Alex, [00:28:59] FEMA funding, and we are in the midst of [00:29:01] the uh the the storm that took place [00:29:03] over the weekend. And many Americans are [00:29:04] still being impacted by that. So, we [00:29:06] absolutely do not want to see that [00:29:07] funding lapse, and we want the Senate to [00:29:10] move forward with passing the bipartisan [00:29:12] appropriations package that was [00:29:14] negotiated on a bipartisan basis. And [00:29:16] secondly, secondly, there's another [00:29:17] round of uh Russia uh Ukraine talks uh [00:29:20] this weekend, Sunday. Uh wonder if you [00:29:22] can walk us through with the president [00:29:24] how he will be involved in that if at [00:29:25] all. We'll be talking to President [00:29:27] Putin, President Zilinski ahead of those [00:29:29] meetings. Uh [00:29:29] >> I'm not tracking any scheduled calls at [00:29:31] this point in time. Uh however, the [00:29:33] president remains deeply involved and of [00:29:35] course he's being apprised by his [00:29:37] adviserss, namely Jared Kushner and [00:29:39] special envoy WhitF on these talks. They [00:29:41] had a a multilateral meeting this past [00:29:44] weekend which didn't get a ton of [00:29:45] coverage, but that was historic in [00:29:47] nature uh where the president's team has [00:29:49] really bought brought two sides of this [00:29:50] war to the table together to move the [00:29:52] ball closer towards peace. So the [00:29:54] president is not giving up on the peace [00:29:56] process. He obviously just met with [00:29:58] President Zalinsky when we were in [00:29:59] Davos, Switzerland, but I'm not tracking [00:30:01] any calls scheduled for this week. On [00:30:04] one more foreign policy point I will [00:30:06] point out as you all saw um the last [00:30:08] remaining body of the hostages uh in [00:30:11] Israeli hostages in Gaza uh has been [00:30:13] returned. This is a huge foreign policy [00:30:16] feat uh for the president of the United [00:30:18] States, for the state of Israel and [00:30:20] frankly for the whole world. The [00:30:22] president made the impossible possible. [00:30:24] Um and so it's great news for the [00:30:26] president, for the United States, for [00:30:27] our allies and also for peace in the [00:30:29] Middle East. Uh and I understand that [00:30:32] more than 20 new additional countries [00:30:34] have also signed up to join the newly [00:30:36] established Board of Peace with respect [00:30:38] to the rebuilding of Gaza, which is [00:30:40] another historic accomplishment for this [00:30:42] president. So, thank you all very much [00:30:43] and we'll see you in Iowa tomorrow. [00:30:48] [laughter]