President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to oversee immigration enforcement operations, just 20 minutes after "Fox & Friends" co-host Brian Kilmeade repeatedly urged the move on air.
Kilmeade, a vocal Trump supporter, first suggested at around 6:15 a.m. that Trump "bring Tom Homan in" to address the political fallout from Saturday's fatal shooting of 37-year-old VA nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. He repeated the advice at 7:15 a.m. and again at 8:10 a.m., saying Homan would "settle things down" and help the president amid growing backlash over the incident and heavy-handed federal tactics.
Trump responded swiftly, declaring, "I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight."The announcement highlights concerns within pro-Trump media circles that the administration's handling of Pretti's death—and the broader immigration crackdown—is damaging public support and optics.
🚨 NEW: Just minutes after Fox’s Brian @Kilmeade suggested bringing @RealTomHoman to Minnesota, President Trump has announced that he is sending Homan tonight
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) January 26, 2026
TRUMP: “He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and… pic.twitter.com/CC23BdKVF5
Conservative outlets, including the New York Post (whose editorial Kilmeade read on air), have urged de-escalation, warning that violent images from Minneapolis are backfiring and could jeopardize Republican majorities. The Post called for "calm leadership" from Trump while accusing the left of seeking a "civil war."
MAGA-aligned commentators have largely defended law enforcement's actions but expressed worry over narrative control and visuals.
Criticism has targeted top officials like White House aide Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for quickly labeling Pretti a "domestic terrorist" and "would-be assassin," which some say inflamed tensions and distracted from deportation efforts.