Trump heads to Iowa amid fallout over Minneapolis ICE shootings

President Trump headed to Iowa today as part of the White House’s midterm-year pivot toward affordability, even as his administration remains mired in fallout over a second fatal shooting by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. In a display aimed at reducing tensions, Trump said he had “great calls” with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Monday. The sudden shift toward a more conciliatory approach is the latest in a string of moments in which Trump has taken maximalist positions, only to later appear to retreat.

Protesters created a loud commotion outside a Minnesota hotel where Greg Bovino was reportedly staying yesterday, after the official was removed from his role as “commander at large” for the U.S. Border Patrol. According to reports, Bovino will leave Minnesota along with some of the agents deployed with him and return to his former job in California. But some say that move does not go far enough.

As tensions remain high in Minneapolis, former U.S. President Joe Biden decried the Trump administration’s actions in the city and called for “full, fair, and transparent investigations” into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. In the aftermath, the Department of Homeland Security is facing backlash over its response to the shooting of another U.S. citizen at the hands of federal agents.

According to CNN, Trump met for nearly two hours with Kristi Noem and her senior adviser Monday night. Asked directly whether Noem would step down, Trump said “no,” before moving on to the next question. Senator John Fetterman is among those calling for Noem to resign or be fired. In a social media post, he accused her of betraying Homeland Security’s core mission. The latest fatal shooting has increased the odds of a government shutdown.

Some Democrats are now refusing to support funding for the Department of Homeland Security, vowing to withhold votes on an appropriations package for multiple government agencies—including the Departments of Defense, Transportation, and Homeland Security—unless DHS reins in its immigration enforcement actions. If all Senate Republicans vote yes, they will need at least eight Democrats to join them to pass the funding. But if the sides cannot come together by midnight Friday, thousands of government workers could once again be impacted.

Meanwhile, the chief federal judge in Minnesota has ordered the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appear before him Friday to explain why he should not be held in contempt over Trump administration failures to hold hearings for detained immigrants.