At a tense oversight hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) confronted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s handling of the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis—and over comments Noem made in the immediate aftermath.
Klobuchar began by raising a deeply personal issue. After Pretti’s death, she spoke with his parents, who told her that hearing the administration describe their son as a “domestic terrorist” was “one of the most hurtful things” they have ever experienced. She asked Noem directly whether she had anything to say to Pretti’s parents.
Noem responded that in the hours following the incident, officials were relying on information coming from agents on the ground. Pressed again about her remarks about Pretti and Good, Noem spouted out boilerplate condolences said she could not imagine what they were going through after losing a loved one.
Noem then outright denied her past statements, claiming she never explicitly called Pretti a “domestic terrorist.” Klobuchar responded, “I think the parents saw it for what it was.”
Klobuchar Calls Out The Trump Administration’s Investigation Into Pretti’s Death
The Minnesota senator also turned to the administration’s handling of the crime scene. According to Klobuchar, Minnesota state and local law enforcement officials were blocked from accessing the scene after the shootings, prompting urgent calls to her office from local leaders.
“Do you think blocking local law enforcement from the scene of a shooting makes people safer?” Klobuchar pressed.
Noem defended the decision, saying Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers were securing evidence and protecting the scene amid concerns about unrest. She added that the investigation is being led by the FBI, along with internal reviews.
Klobuchar emphasized that Pretti lost his life at the scene, and stated that justice requires a full and transparent inquiry. She asked whether Noem would commit to reversing the decision not to cooperate with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, noting that federal and local authorities have historically worked side by side in major cases in the state until now.
Noem declined to make that commitment. “The FBI is leading this investigation, and I would defer to them to answer that question,” she dismissively told Klobuchar.
