Most Americans concerned over Trump admin's handling of Alex Pretti shooting
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
People gather for a candlelight vigil for Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Feb. 1. Photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images
Most Americans (61%) believe that the Trump administration hasn't been honest about the death of Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis nearly two weeks ago, according to a new Quinnipiac poll.
Why it matters: Public opinion on President Trump's hardline immigration agenda is hardening, even as the administration attempts to tamp down fallout from the killings of Pretti and Minneapolis mother Renee Good.
- The polling comes as Trump's border czar Tom Homan announced the administration would withdraw 700 federal immigration agents from Minnesota "immediately" — a major de-escalation move following weeks of backlash over Pretti's killing.
By the numbers: 93% of Democrats and 65% of Independents say the administration hasn't been honest about the shooting, compared with 19% of Republicans.
- 62% of voters say the shooting was not justified, while 22% say it was — and 16% did not offer an opinion.
State of play: The vast majority of Americans (80%) say there should be an independent investigation into the shooting, compared with just 15% who disagree.
- The Justice Department has opened a civil rights probe into Pretti's death. However, the Trump administration has said there is no need for a similar probe into Good's death.
- More than 300 former federal prosecutors and civil rights attorneys are now urging the Justice Department to allow state and local investigations into the killings of both residents.
- Trump on Wednesday told NBC that the administration has learned to "use a little bit of a softer touch," when it comes to immigration enforcement, though he added it's important to be "tough" when dealing with "really hard criminals."
Between the lines: That softened sentiment comes as an increasing share of Americans say immigration enforcement has become too heavy-handed.
- Newly released NPR/PBS News/Marist polling conducted late last month found 65% of Americans think ICE has gone "too far," up from 54% last June.
- Recent polls from Ipsos and The New York Times/Siena found roughly 6 in 10 respondents saying ICE had taken enforcement too far.
Worth noting: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem came under fire after the Pretti shooting for characterizing the Minnesota nurse as a domestic terrorist and blaming him for carrying a firearm, prompting bipartisan calls for her impeachment.
- Almost six in 10 voters (58%) believe Noem should be relieved from her duties, while 34% say she should remain in her role.
Go deeper: Americans' confidence in ICE plummets after Minneapolis shootings
Methodology: This telephone survey was conducted among 1,191 self-identified registered voters, Jan. 29 to Feb. 2. Respondents were selected using Random Digit Dialing procedures by Dynata. The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately +/- 3.6 percentage points.
The NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll national survey of 1,462 adults was conducted via a multi-mode design Jan. 27 to Jan. 30. Results for all adults are statistically significant within ±2.9 percentage points.
