Sen Lindsey Graham defends Noem, Miller over labeling of man killed by Border Patrol

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., defended Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller on Tuesday after Sen. Thom Tillis, R-R.C., labeled the U.S. citizen killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis as a “domestic terrorist.”

Tillis became the first Senate Republican to call for Noem to be fired following the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who was shot by federal agents while recording immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis over the weekend.

“What he did in Minnesota should be disqualifying. He should be out of a job,” Tillis told reporters early Tuesday. “This is just amateurish. It’s terrible. It makes the president look bad on the policy he won.” [President Donald Trump] He won with a strong message on immigration. Nobody talks about this now. … They talk about the incompetence of the Homeland Security leader.”

Tillis added that Noem and Miller “told the president that the deceased was a terrorist before they even had an incident report. This is amateur hour at its worst.”

Senate GOP critics say NOEM ‘must go’ amid fallout from MINNEAPOLIS shootings

Responding to Tillis, Graham said anyone who believed they could get President Donald Trump to distance himself from Miller “must have a very high opinion of himself.”

Speaking to Fox News’ Chad Pergram, Graham said, “I’ve known Stephen Miller for a very long time. We have our differences, but we have more in common. When the clock hits midnight for President Trump, there will be very few people on his side. One of them will be Stephen Miller. If you don’t understand that, you’ve missed a lot. No one helped Trump more than Stephen Miller.”

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

The South Carolina lawmaker added: “My Republican colleagues, you must understand that the President’s confidence in Stephen Miller is rock-solid and unwavering. And Miller is part of that group.”

Sen. Thom Tillis became the first Senate Republican to call for the firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem following the killing of Alex Pretti. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents while recording federal immigration operations in Minneapolis on Saturday. Pretti, a critical care nurse, appeared to be trying to tend to a female agent who was pushed to the ground and beaten when she was sprayed with an irritant. An agent was seen removing Pretti’s legally owned gun from his waistband before other agents fired several shots, killing him.

Noem was quick to call Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and Miller called him like a “future assassin”; These were both false allegations that sparked bipartisan backlash.

As the White House attempted to distance itself from Noem and Miller’s comments, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she “had not heard the president describe Pretti that way.”

But despite calls from Democratic and Republican lawmakers to impeach Noem over her response to Pretti’s killing, Trump expressed confidence that the secretary would continue to lead DHS.

NY POST, WSJ, NY TIMES AND WASHINGTON POST PARTNER AGAINST TRUMP ADMIN OVER OPERATION ICE IN MINNEAPOLIS

President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem will continue to lead the department. (Washington Post via Demetrius Freeman/Getty Images)

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“I think he’s doing a very good job. The border is completely secure. You know, you forget that we have a border that I inherited, where millions of people come. We have a border that no one crosses anymore. They only come into our country legally,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

Asked if he agreed with Noem and Miller labeling Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” and “assassin,” the president said he had not heard those remarks.

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

Trump also said the attack was a “very sad situation” and what he wanted to see was a “very dignified and honest investigation.”