DHS Spox Dodges Twice When Asked if Alex Pretti is Still Being Labeled a ‘Domestic Terrorist’ in Testy Exchange On Fox News

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin sidestepped whether the department was “pulling back” on Kristi Noem’s branding of shooting victim Alex Pretti as a “terrorist” in a testy Fox News grilling.

Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents on Saturday morning during an enforcement operation. Video footage and subsequent investigations show that several agents wrestling on the ground with Pretti, who was carrying a firearm, before shots were fired. In the aftermath Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Pretti of “domestic terrorism” and claimed he came with “weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation.”

Interviewing McLaughlin on Tuesday for America’s Newsroom, Fox News anchor Dana Perino rolled back the clip of Noem making the comment and pressed the spokesperson on whether the department or Noem would be “pulling back that label.”

“That situation we have seen on the ground in Minneapolis is a highly coordinated campaign of violence against our law enforcement. Your viewers have seen the images. In this case we saw an individual who was armed, he got into a physical altercation with law enforcement, he was in the course of obstructing a federal operation, which is a federal crime,” McLaughlin began.

She continued: “The Department of Homeland Security, we work every day to make sure we give the American people swift, accurate information and so we’ll continue to do that –”

“Do you stand by –” Perino attempted to cut in, as McLaughlin continued to speak.

As the spox finished, Perino asked: “So are you standing by calling him a domestic terrorist?”

McLaughlin replied: “We’ll let this investigation that Homeland Security investigators are leading, the FBI is supporting and CBP is doing a separate internal investigation as well ,Dana.”

“OK, then I guess it stands,” the Fox News host concluded.

Watch above via Fox News.

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