The Trump administration has quickly abandoned its familiar 'deny and attack' playbook after initially using it when federal agents shot dead Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday morning.
Within 24 hours, as various videos of the shooting circulated online, it became clear that the White House was out of step with public opinion.
Since then, the administration – and the president himself - have changed tack, blaming Democrats for what happened and focusing less on the actions of the American nurse who was killed.
Democrats, meanwhile, have increased their criticism of the president's mass deportation policy and the aggressive tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leaning into a political fight that could result in a new government shutdown on Friday.
On Monday morning, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described the situation as a 'powder keg'. While he blamed the Democrats, many on both sides of America's political divide will agree that the current situation is fraught with peril.
The initial administration response to Pretti's death painted him as a domestic terrorist. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Pretti intended to 'inflict harm', which drew quick pushback as details unfolded.
This time around, the administration's initial response proved difficult to maintain, leading to a more subdued tone from the White House as Trump acknowledged the tragedy while deflecting responsibility to Democrats.
The situation highlights not only the tensions within U.S. immigration policies but also the evolving public sentiment toward how law enforcement interacts with communities.
