Trump Privately Expressing ‘Discomfort’ with ‘Bad’ Look of Minneapolis ICE Op: Axios

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump is privately expressing “discomfort” with the “bad” look of his Minneapolis immigration enforcement operation, according to a new Axios report.

The revelation comes as the administration publicly postures to back the operation, with Trump even threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy the military or federalize the National Guard in Minnesota to “quickly put an end” to widespread protests.

Speaking to Axios, one top presidential adviser insisted that Trump still wants “mass deportations,” but is feeling uneasy about the optics.

“I wouldn’t say he’s concerned about the policy. He wants deportations. He wants mass deportations. What he doesn’t want is what people are seeing,” he said. “He doesn’t like the way it looks. It looks bad. So he’s expressed some discomfort at that… There’s the right way to do this. And this doesn’t look like the right way.”

Trump’s reservations stretch back to before the ICE shooting of Minnesota woman Renee Nicole Good, which sparked further demonstrations, when Trump’s team reviewed private Republican polling showing erosion in support for his immigration agenda, according to the outlet. The polling reportedly showed a dip among independents, moderates, and minority voters, a bloc critical to his 2024 victory and to Republican hopes of holding the House majority in November’s midterms.

The polling, completed late last year, found that 60% of independent voters and 58% of undecided voters believed Trump was “too focused” on deporting undocumented immigrants.

Those numbers have taken on new urgency as footage from Minneapolis, including masked federal officers and confrontations with demonstrators, circulates on cable news and social media, with Trump voters like Joe Rogan questioning the tactics.

The moment, according to Axios, has prompted quiet talk among some advisers of “recalibrating” the administration’s approach. What that means in practice remains unclear.

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