Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis have called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign in the wake of the Jan. 24 killing of Alex Pretti by border agents. This marks the first time GOP members of Congress have demanded the Cabinet secretary’s resignation.
Senator Tillis (R-NC) expressed his thoughts on the matter, stating, “I think that what she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job. I mean, really, it’s just amateurish. It’s making the president look bad on policies that he won on. He won on a strong message on immigration, and now nobody’s talking about that. They’re talking about the incompetence of the leader of homeland security.”
Senator Murkowski (R-Alaska) also added her voice to the call for Noem’s resignation, initially stating that it was “probably time for [Noem] to step down” before affirming, “Yes, she should go.”
Murkowski and Tillis both voted to confirm Noem as DHS boss last year, but they do not face immediate political consequences for breaking with the White House. President Trump has rejected calls from Democrats to fire Noem over her handling of the Pretti shooting incident.
President Trump defended Noem, stating, “I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is totally secure.” He dismissed suggestions that sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota was a lack of confidence in Noem, stating, “I do that all the time. I shake up teams.”
As Homan traveled to Minnesota, Noem and her adviser Corey Lewandowski met with President Trump in the Oval Office. When asked about Noem’s potential resignation, Trump simply replied, “No.”
