Mullin: “I shouldn’t have said that” about Alex Pretti

MULLIN: "I SHOULDN'T

HAVE SAID THAT"

ABOUT ALEX PRETTI

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), the president's nominee to lead the Homeland Security Department, said Wednesday he regretted his comments in the wake of Alex Pretti's killing by federal agents, in which he called Mr. Pretti a "deranged individual that came in to cause max damage."

"Those words probably should have been retracted. I shouldn't have said that, and as a secretary, I wouldn't," he told Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), the Homeland Security Committee's top Democrat, during his confirmation hearing to replace Secretary Kristi Noem, who faced steep criticism for also making premature statements about Mr. Pretti and Renee Good.

"The investigation is ongoing, and there is, like I said, there's sometimes I'm going to make a mistake, and I'll own it. That one, I went out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts. That's my fault. That won't happen as secretary."

Nevertheless, Sen. Mullin declined to apologize to Mr. Pretti's family, saying he was waiting for the investigation to conclude.

"We'll let the investigation go through, and if I'm proven wrong, then I will absolutely," he said.

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