SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
President Trump spoke to Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz today about the federal immigration agents that have now killed two people in Minnesota this month, including 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti over the weekend. The Trump administration has been trying to explain how those killings happened. It has now announced that border czar Tom Homan will take over running on-the-ground immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota. NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben joins me now with more. Hi, Danielle.
DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN, BYLINE: Hey, Scott.
DETROW: What do we know about what happened in this call?
KURTZLEBEN: Well, President Trump and Governor Walz each put out a summary of the call. Now, Walz has given much more detail of the two - first of all, in a statement calling the conversation productive, which he then elaborated on in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio's Clay Masters. And here's what he said.
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TIM WALZ: Whatever has happened here, there is a definite change of tone. There is definitely a more collaborative tone. I want to make sure that I'm not jeopardizing that, that I'm going to take them for their word right now that they're going to reduce this force.
KURTZLEBEN: So that's notable. Walz says that Trump said he's willing to reduce the force in Minneapolis. Walz also added that with Homan coming in, his understanding is that Greg Bovino, who had been heading operations in Minneapolis, is leaving and that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem will no longer be there. Trump meanwhile posted on social media about the call and he made it sound friendly. He said he and Walz were on a similar wavelength, as he put it. He also characterized Walz as, quote, "happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota." Now, Walz and Trump both really seem to be emphasizing that they want to work together in the wake of these two killings.
DETROW: I mean, how does this square with how the administration had previously talked about Walz?
KURTZLEBEN: Well, there's a big contradiction, and it was apparent at the White House press briefing today, where press secretary Karoline Leavitt, she blamed Walz along with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for the Saturday shooting.
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KAROLINE LEAVITT: But let's be clear about the circumstances which led to that moment on Saturday. This tragedy occurred as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota. For weeks, Governor Walz and the mayor, Jacob Frey, and other elected Democrats were spreading lies about federal law enforcement officers.
KURTZLEBEN: So you have Trump emphasizing cooperation, and then you have the White House blaming Walz. It really seems like they're trying to have it both ways here, to put out this red meat of slamming Democratic leaders as these irresponsible extremists while also trying to put out this message of, don't worry - we're trying to work together to improve things.
DETROW: So that's their statements. Let's talk about their actions for a moment. The administration says it's sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota. What does this change mean? Why is this significant?
KURTZLEBEN: Well, it seems clear this administration recognizes they need to change something in Minneapolis, which is something Walz also noted. Now, the whole world at this point has seen these two horrifying shootings on video. In that last one, you saw a man pepper-sprayed, wrestled to the ground by federal agents, one of whom shot him several times. So thus far, DHS Secretary Noem and Bovino, they've been the face of the immigration enforcement surge there. Homan, meanwhile, he is no moderate on immigration, but he did also serve under Obama. And Trump really seemed to emphasize this changing of the guard today. In announcing this, he went out of his way to say Homan hasn't been involved in Minneapolis and that he will be reporting directly to Trump.
DETROW: Still though, Danielle, Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem have both called Pretti a domestic terrorist, a would-be assassin. It really seems hard to walk back that rhetoric.
KURTZLEBEN: Very much, but they are trying. Today, when Leavitt was asked about that, she said she's never heard Trump characterize Pretti that way. And this is meaningful because Trump, as you know, has no problem being inflammatory. So backing away from this shows they're trying not to repeat that message.
DETROW: That is NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben. Thank you so much, Danielle.
KURTZLEBEN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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