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President Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz spoke by phone Monday in a call both sides described as productive, signaling a potential thaw in relations as tensions escalate over two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in the state.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Walz, a Democrat, called him to request cooperation.
“It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” Trump wrote.
The exchange marks a notable shift in Trump’s tone toward Walz, whom he has repeatedly criticized in recent weeks over Minnesota’s handling of a public assistance fraud scandal and blamed for unrest surrounding the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis.
As recently as Saturday — following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal agent — Trump accused Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of “inciting Insurrection” and derided them as “pompous, dangerous, and arrogant” leaders.
Homan deployment discussed
Trump said Walz raised the prospect of working together during the call and that he informed the governor he would have border czar Tom Homan reach out directly. Trump publicly announced earlier Monday that he was dispatching Homan to Minnesota following widespread backlash over Pretti’s killing.
The president said his administration is focused on identifying “any and all criminals that they have in their possession.”
At a White House briefing Monday afternoon, press secretary Karoline Leavitt expanded on that message, saying the administration expects Minnesota officials to turn over “criminal illegal aliens currently incarcerated in their prisons and jails” to federal authorities. She also said local law enforcement should assist federal agents in apprehending undocumented immigrants arrested by police.
“The Governor, very respectfully, understood that,” Trump wrote. “He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I.”
Walz confirms ‘productive’ call
Walz’s office confirmed Monday that the governor held what it described as a “productive” phone call with Trump.
According to the statement, Trump agreed to speak with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that state investigators can conduct independent investigations into the fatal shootings of Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, who was killed earlier this month during a separate encounter with federal agents.
“The President also agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and working with the state in a more coordinated fashion on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals,” the governor’s office said.
Walz’s office added that the governor emphasized the need to restore calm and accountability amid growing public outrage.
Dispute over cooperation
Despite the White House’s claims that Minnesota has failed to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, Walz pushed back forcefully in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Monday.
“The Minnesota Department of Corrections honors all federal and local detainers by notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a person committed to its custody isn’t a U.S. citizen,” Walz wrote. “There is not a single documented case of the department’s releasing someone from state prison without offering to ensure a smooth transfer of custody.”
The op-ed signaled a more measured tone from the governor compared with his remarks a day earlier, when he sharply criticized Trump during a news conference.
“What’s the plan, Donald Trump? What is the plan?” Walz said Sunday. “What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state? If fear, violence and chaos is what you wanted, then you clearly underestimated the people of this state and nation.”
Political pressure mounts
The call comes amid growing scrutiny of the administration’s response to Pretti’s death. Pretti, 37, was an ICU nurse who was legally carrying a firearm during the encounter. Senior administration officials initially portrayed him as a violent threat who intended to “massacre law enforcement” and claimed he was “brandishing” his weapon.
Video evidence reviewed by news organizations has contradicted that account, appearing to show Pretti holding a cellphone rather than a gun moments before he was shot.
The administration’s handling of the incident has drawn criticism not only from Democrats but also from some Republicans.
“We certainly should not be labeling him as a domestic terrorist who was going to execute cops,” former Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said Monday on Fox News. “There is no evidence to support that.”
Walz and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles spoke twice on Saturday, according to a person familiar with internal White House discussions, underscoring the behind-the-scenes efforts to contain a rapidly escalating political and public safety crisis.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for additional details about Monday’s call.
