President Donald Trump met for nearly two hours with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her senior adviser, Corey Lewandowski, in the Oval Office last night, two sources familiar with the meeting told CNN, after Noem had asked to speak with Trump in person.
The meeting comes as the Trump administration has showed its first signs of retreat in Minneapolis following Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, the second person killed by federal agents in the city this month.
Here’s who was at the meeting and what was discussed, according to sources:
Candid conversation: Trump did not threaten Noem’s or Lewandowski’s jobs during the meeting, the sources said. The group had a frank conversation about how to continue carrying out the president’s immigration agenda in Minnesota amid national backlash — including criticism from some Republicans — and unrest in the state.
Who else was there? Other top Trump officials, including chief of staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and communications director Steven Cheung, also attended the meeting, which was first reported by The New York Times. The White House declined to comment on the meeting, though an official reiterated the president’s support for Noem.
What DHS is saying: Asked about the meeting on Fox News, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said today that Trump and Noem have “had at-length discussions.” She said: “I can’t get into those specifics, but Secretary Noem will continue to oversee, of course, the Department of Homeland Security.” McLaughlin said that Noem is “very happy” that border czar Tom Homan will be overseeing immigration operations in Minneapolis.
CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Daniel Dale, Priscilla Alvarez, Michael Williams, Holmes Lybrand and Aaron Blake contributed to this report.