How the White House tone on Minnesota shootings has evolved

Amna Nawaz:

For more on the Trump administration's evolving response to the deadly shootings in Minneapolis, we're joined now by our White House correspondent, Liz Landers.

So, Liz, we saw in Fred's report there President Trump told you he did not think Pretti was an assassin. Why is that significant?

Liz Landers:

It's notable because the administration is changing their tone on what happened in Minneapolis. On Saturday, within hours of this shooting happening, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller took to social media to call Pretti an assassin.

And that was reposted by the vice president of the United States. So, within a few hours, you had two top White House officials taking this stance that he was an assassin. Today, we're seeing the president distancing himself from that, saying that Pretti and Renee Good's shootings were both terrible. He said: "I hate to see that."

And I also just want to note something else about our exchange about handguns there and the gun that Pretti was apparently carrying on his person when that happened. He was legally permitted to have that gun. And Minnesota has open-carry policies there if you have a permit.

Amna Nawaz:

We also know that the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, her top aide, Corey Lewandowski, had a two-hour meeting last night at the White House. What do we know about that?

Liz Landers:

The New York Times reported that they requested the meeting with the president in the Oval Office with a number of top White House officials to talk about what happened in Minnesota.

And, apparently, the president is still backing Noem. He said today that he has confidence in her, that she's not going to step down. He said she's doing a very good job.

And I also want to add, Amna, that, within the last few minutes, the Department of Homeland Security has sent a note to Congress with more information about what actually happened in the Pretti shooting, saying that two federal officers fired shots on Saturday. That's new.

Amna Nawaz:

We should also note that, during all this criticism of ICE, the president is in Iowa today. He's giving a speech about the economy. Tell us what we should know about that.

Liz Landers:

The president and the White House has wanted to refocus the message on affordability. We heard the White House press secretary talking about that.

The president touting while he's been on the ground in Iowa that gas prices are down there, that his tax bill that passed over the summer will be cutting taxes on tips, Social Security, some of those other signature issues that he's been discussing.

But this is also a political visit that he's making. Iowa has several key midterm races. We're in a midterm election year now. There is an important Senate race there, governor's race. And there are even congressional races, Like Congresswoman Miller-Meeks, who won her seat by a mere 800 or so votes in last year's election.

So there was some good old-fashioned campaigning that he was doing on the ground there at a diner earlier today, talking with Iowans, touting some of his policies, also talking politics.

Amna Nawaz:

All right, our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, beginning our coverage tonight.

Liz, thank you.