Effort to manipulate killing of Alex Pretti collapsed after footage torpedoed ‘domestic terrorist’ claim – could this be a turning point?

Facing a widespread backlash from the public, Democrats and even his own Republican party, Trump was forced into a partial retreat, distancing himself from efforts by aides such as Stephen Miller and Department of Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem, to demonise Pretti, and shuffling leadership of immigration operations in Minneapolis.

For once, the president’s reality distortion field – which promised Mexico would pay for his border wall, claimed Covid would disappear “like a miracle”, insisted the 2020 election was stolen, and rewrote the history of the January 6 insurrection – had met its match.

Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post warned: “Mr President, the American people didn’t vote for these scenes, and you can’t continue to order them to not believe their lying eyes.”