President Trump said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will not step down despite growing calls for her resignation.
“No,” he told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House when asked if she’d resign.
“I think she’s doing a very good job.”
President Trump said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will not step down despite growing calls for her resignation, simply responding to questions with “No.” APNoem is facing criticism for her handling of the fallout after two people were killed in altercations with federal agents. She sought to portray Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old armed ICU nurse, and Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, as domestic terrorists.
The White House has distanced itself from that tough rhetoric but will keep Noem on the job, after a lengthy Monday evening huddle between Trump and Noem at the White House.
Trump, in a move that was interpreted as sidelining Noem, announced Monday that he was sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to handle the situation on the ground. Additionally, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, a hard-charging leader, was ordered home from his position in the state.
Homeland security adviser Stephen Miller used phrasing similar to Noem to describe Pretti and Good, but press secretary Karoline Leavitt put some space between the president and the tough talk.
“I think she’s doing a very good job,” Trump said of Noem. Getty ImagesShe was asked in her briefing on Monday if Trump agrees with the “domestic terrorist” designation.
“I have not heard the president characterize Mr. Pretti in that way,” Leavitt responded. “However, I have heard the president say he wants to let the facts and the investigation lead itself.”
Despite the distance, Trump is showing faith in his advisers, speaking well of Noem and taking Miller with him on his trip to Iowa, where he will talk about the economy.
Noem has been facing criticism for her handling of the Minneapolis shootings during anti-ICE protests in the city, resulting in the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. Getty ImagesHe also told reporters on the South Lawn, ahead of his departure, that he has heard Homan is doing a good job on the ground.
“I hear that’s going very well,” he said of Homan’s meetings with Gov. Tim Walz.
Homan was sent in to defuse the situation both physically and politically. Even some Republicans were questioning Noem’s response to the deaths and the heavy use of force in the state.
Trump, in a move that was interpreted as sidelining Noem, announced Monday that he was sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to handle the situation on the ground, according to reports. APMeanwhile, the president called for an “honorable” investigation into Pretti’s death and vowed to oversee it personally.
“We’re doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I’m going to be watching over it. I want a very honorable and honest investigation — I have to see it myself,” he said Tuesday as he departed the White House for an event in Iowa.
Three different agencies are investigating the shooting of Pretti, who died Saturday during an altercation with federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and US Customs and Border Protection are all examining what happened.
