Sen. Lindsey Graham defends Noem and Miller for labeling man killed by Border Patrol

The senator Lindsey GrahamR.S.C., defended Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller on Tuesday after Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., criticized the two men for calling the U.S. citizen killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis a “domestic terrorist.”

Tillis was the first Senate Republican to call for Noem’s firing following the killing of Alex Pretti, 37, who was shot and killed by federal agents while recording immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis over the weekend.

“What she did in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job,” Tillis told reporters earlier Tuesday. “It’s just an act of amateurism. It’s terrible. It makes the president look bad about the policies he won on. [President Donald Trump] won on a strong message on immigration. Now, no one talks about that. … They’re talking about the incompetence of the head of Homeland Security.”

Noem and Miller “told the president, before even having an incident report, that the deceased was a terrorist. This is amateurism at its worst,” Tillis added.

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Responding to Tillis, Graham said someone “must have a very high opinion of themselves” if they believe they can become president. Donald Trump to distance himself from Miller.

“I’ve known Stephen Miller for a very long time. We have our differences, but we have more in common. When the clock strikes midnight for President Trump, there will be very few on his side. One of them will be Stephen Miller. If you don’t understand that, you’ve missed a lot. Nobody has helped Trump more than Stephen Miller,” Graham told Fox News’ Chad Pergram.

“To convince yourself that you can get Trump to distance himself from Stephen Miller, you have to have a very high opinion of himself,” he continued.

The South Carolina lawmaker added: “To my Republican colleagues, you must understand that the president’s confidence in Stephen Miller is strong and unwavering. And Miller is part of that group.”

Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed Saturday by Border Patrol agents while recording federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. An intensive care nurse, Pretti appeared to be trying to tend to a knocked-down female officer when he was sprayed with an irritant, pushed to the ground and beaten. An officer was seen removing Pretti’s legitimate weapon from his waistband before other officers fired several shots and killed him.

Noem was quick to call Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” and Miller called him a “potential assassin,” two unsubstantiated claims that sparked bipartisan backlash.

The White House sought to distance itself from Noem and Miller’s comments, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying she “did not hear the president characterize” Pretti that way.

But despite calls from Democratic and Republican lawmakers oust Noem regarding his response to Pretti’s killing, Trump expressed confidence in the secretary’s ability to continue to lead DHS.

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“I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is completely secure. You know, you forget that we had a border that I inherited, that millions of people used to go through. We have a border now that no one goes through. They only come into our country legally,” Trump told reporters Tuesday.

Asked if he agreed with Noem and Miller calling Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and a “murderer,” the president said he hadn’t heard those remarks.

“Well, I didn’t hear that. He shouldn’t have carried a gun,” Trump said.

Trump also said the shooting was a “very sad situation” and that he wanted a “very honorable and honest investigation” that he wanted to see for himself.