Skip to Main ContentStephen Miller Behind DHS Messaging Over Pretti Shooting, Sources Tell AxiosAs the knives come out for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, four sources told Axios on Tuesday that longtime White House adviser Stephen Miller was behind the push to use incendiary language to describe Alex Pretti — a move which has since backfired.Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was killed by a Border Patrol agent while protesting in Minnesota over the weekend."Everything I've done, I've done at the direction of the president and Stephen," Noem told someone who relayed her remarks to Axios."Stephen heard 'gun' and knew what the narrative would be: Pretti came to 'massacre' cops," another source familiar with the media strategy said."Others within the White House attempted to clean up the DHS statement prior to it being sent but it had already been disseminated," another told Axios.See All UpdatesClose