On Monday morning, a significant development unfolded in the federal immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota. Shortly after 6:15 a.m., Brian Kilmeade, co-host of Fox & Friends and a known supporter of President Trump, publicly suggested on air that Tom Homan should be deployed to Minnesota. Kilmeade, emphasizing the urgency and the sensitivity of the situation surrounding the fatal police shooting of Alex Pretti the previous Saturday, proposed this solution multiple times during the morning broadcast.
Specifically, Kilmeade initially brought up the idea at 6:15 a.m., repeated it at 7:15 a.m., and mentioned it again at 8:10 a.m., each time underscoring Homan's capacity to "settle things down" and assist in managing the politically charged scenario. Tom Homan, who holds the title of border czar and has previously served as a Fox commentator, is widely known for his expertise in immigration enforcement matters.
Approximately 20 minutes after Kilmeade's third recommendation, President Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he was officially sending Tom Homan to Minnesota. The president characterized Homan as "tough but fair" and noted that he would report directly to him, signaling the importance and direct oversight of this deployment.
This swift action reflects the broader perspective within MAGA-aligned media circles, which have been expressing concern that the federal handling of the Minneapolis incident is causing political difficulties for the Trump administration. Specifically, the controversy surrounding the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, and the subsequent public and media reaction, have raised alarms about the optics of current enforcement tactics and their impact on the administration's immigration enforcement agenda.
Numerous pro-Trump media programs, podcasts, and commentators have been balancing their defense of law enforcement personnel with apprehensions regarding how violent images and public outrage in Minnesota are being perceived nationally. The concern primarily centers on the narrative framing and the visual portrayal of enforcement actions, which conservative commentators argue could threaten the administration's political standing.
In an editorial published on Monday morning, the New York Post's editorial board, itself part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire alongside Fox News, explicitly addressed President Trump, urging a strategy shift to "de-escalate in Minneapolis" and cautioning that current enforcement measures "are backfiring." The Post's conservative editors accused the political left of seeking to foment civil unrest and emphasized the need for Trump to offer "calm leadership." Bryan Kilmeade reinforced these messages during Fox & Friends by reading directly from the editorial and noting, "The bottom line is, these images are not the ones that are going to help you keep the majorities." This statement highlights the critical focus on controlling the narrative to preserve electoral support.
This preoccupation with optics has become a central theme of conservative critique, emphasizing "narrative discipline" and lamenting the administration's perceived loss of control over public perception. Commentary from MAGA media voices has also critiqued top White House officials such as Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, suggesting that their language—particularly labeling Alex Pretti a "domestic terrorist"—has exacerbated tensions, distracted from enforcement goals, and ultimately been counterproductive.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Fox News programs and other outlets within the MAGA media sphere vigorously promoted the Trump administration's position that Pretti posed a substantial threat to federal officers. For example, Fox correspondent Bill Melugin, a longstanding immigration reporter for the network with close ties to Homeland Security officials, rapidly disseminated a photo of the firearm allegedly carried by Pretti. Melugin’s social media posts bolstered the pro-Trump narrative.
Federal officials and allied commentators swiftly assigned blame to Pretti for the fatal encounter, though some of these claims conflicted with available video evidence. As public scrutiny intensified over the weekend, a segment of MAGA media figures voiced skepticism regarding discrepancies in the government’s narrative. However, such skepticism was not widespread, and certain commentators circulated statements that were later corrected or disproven by social media users and independent fact-checkers.
For instance, podcaster Jack Posobiec asserted on his X (formerly Twitter) account that Pretti "ran up on police and interfered with their operations and then drew a gun." This claim was challenged by several users who noted that video footage did not support these allegations.
Throughout Sunday and Monday, prominent Trump-supporting commentators underscored the hostility federal agents reportedly face in Minneapolis, often framing the local opposition as politically motivated and disregarding underlying community concerns. Mollie Hemingway, editor in chief of The Federalist, wrote on X that media and Democratic critics are antagonistic toward immigration enforcement efforts and are willing to "burn the country down to keep the borders open."
Concurrently, other conservative voices expressed unease about the administration’s communication approach. National Review criticized Secretary Noem as incapable of truthful messaging regarding the shooting and labeled her a growing political liability for the Trump White House. Despite assigning primary blame to Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, many conservative commentators acknowledged that the administration's own narrative strategies were undermining its stance.
Adding to the internal critique, Melugin reported on Sunday that "more than half a dozen federal sources" had grown frustrated with the Department of Homeland Security’s post-incident messaging. This report was subsequently discussed on Fox’s Sunday evening talk shows, where mild criticism of the administration’s language choices was voiced.
Brian Kilmeade’s suggestions on Monday morning echoed this sentiment as he recommended a federal recalibration regarding the Minnesota situation. He repeatedly highlighted the need to refocus efforts elsewhere, noting there are "a lot more criminals out there" in other locations. Importantly, Kilmeade framed his pitch for Tom Homan's deployment in terms aligned with President Trump’s own rhetoric, praising Homan’s loyalty and knowledge. Kilmeade contended that Homan, a former Obama appointee who has long supported Trump, possesses comprehensive expertise that would benefit the federal response to the unfolding crisis in Minnesota.
In summary, this series of events illustrates the intersection of media influence, administration strategy, and public perception in shaping federal immigration enforcement policy amid a politically charged atmosphere. The deployment of Tom Homan to Minnesota represents a tactical adjustment influenced in part by conservative media voices prioritizing the management of optics and narrative control ahead of electoral considerations.