Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared on Fox & Friends Monday morning to address the heating situation in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Alex Prey by a Border Patrol agent.
With a court hearing scheduled, Blanche faced pointed questions about allegations from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who recently claimed that federal agents might destroy evidence. Blanche didn’t mince words, calling Ellison’s accusation a “bald-faced lie” and “disgusting rhetoric”.
He insisted that the Department of Justice always investigates such shootings thoroughly and argued that it was actually local law enforcement, not federal agents, who lost control of the crime scene to protesters immediately after the incident.
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The interview also shifted to reports of internal tension within the administration. The hosts cited sources claiming that some officials are frustrated with the messaging coming out of the Department of Homeland Security, specifically the decision to label Prey a “domestic terrorist.”
Some insiders reportedly feel this language contradicts available video evidence and is hurting their public image. When asked directly if the suspect’s actions met the legal definition of domestic terrorism, Blanche avoided a specific legal classification.
Instead, he suggested that the terminology was not meant to be a strict legal definition but rather a description of a very violent altercation.
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Throughout the segment, Blanche repeatedly steered the conversation back to what he views as the real problem: a lack of cooperation from Minnesota’s local leadership. He claimed that federal agents conduct operations in all 50 states but only face this level of “outrage” in Minneapolis.
He pinned the blame on state officials, including the Governor, the Mayor, and Attorney General Ellison, accusing them of creating a “powder keg” environment. He argued that their rhetoric incited rioters to create chaos rather than encouraging peaceful protests, which he says ultimately led to the tragedy on Saturday.
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