Senator Markwayne Mullin, Republican from Oklahoma, acknowledged Wednesday that he spoke too quickly when making remarks about Alex Pretti, telling lawmakers during his confirmation hearing for Homeland Security secretary that he regretted commenting before all the facts were known.
Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Mullin struck a contrite tone as he addressed the controversy surrounding his earlier statements about Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents during large-scale immigration operations in Minneapolis in January.
Mullin had described Pretti as a “deranged individual” who came to the protest looking to cause maximum damage. At Wednesday’s hearing, Mullin conceded those comments were premature, noting the investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
Mullin was among lawmakers and Trump administration officials who made disparaging remarks about Pretti after the shooting, which sparked protests and national scrutiny.
“I should have retracted those words,” Mullin said when asked by committee top Democrat Senator Gary Peters of Michigan. “I shouldn’t have said that, and as secretary I wouldn’t.”
Mullin added: “Sometimes I’m going to make a mistake, and I own it. That one, I went out there too fast.”
He stated his earlier characterization of Pretti was based on incomplete information released shortly after the incident.
“I was responding immediately without the facts,” he said. “That’s my fault. That won’t happen as secretary.”
