Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem may soon be headed for the exits, according to an unnamed official in President Donald Trump's White House.
The Atlantic reported Friday that Noem may have already been on thin ice in the wake of multiple high-profile incidents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in which federal agents killed U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in broad daylight. Trump pulled out Gregory Bovino — Noem's chosen face of Operation Metro Surge — and replaced him with immigration advisor Tom Homan. Now, the Atlantic is reporting Trump is considering abandoning Noem altogether.
"In public, Trump has continued to praise Noem and shrug off calls for her resignation. But White House officials have privately grown frustrated with her performance, as Republican midterm strategists raise alarms about the political damage," the Atlantic reported. "One person familiar with the discussions told us that Noem’s position is no longer secure, even though the president has not yet moved against her."
Congress recently left Washington D.C. for the President's Day recess without agreeing on a deal to fund DHS, meaning Noem's agency is now shut down until further notice. The Atlantic reported that the DHS secretary's planned trips to New Orleans, Louisiana, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other stops have been cancelled, as the trips were not deemed to be mandatory.
While Trump is loath to fire Noem due to his famous "no scalps" policy in which he seeks to deny the media the satisfaction of reporting on turnover in his administration, he is also reportedly hesitant to fire her due to his longstanding relationship with Corey Lewandowski — Noem's top advisor and the president's one-time campaign manager. However, the two are in particularly hot water following a lengthy Wall Street Journal report detailing their chaotic leadership of DHS.
Noem's policy of personally approving any expenditure over $100,000 — which she first implemented last summer — has also led to frustration within DHS, according to the Atlantic. The outlet reported Noem's insistence on being a bottleneck for major expenditures has led to "infighting and finger-pointing." The Journal's report mentioned one instance in which Noem let a border wall construction contract sit unsigned on her desk for months while steel prices skyrocketed. By the time Noem signed it, the money allocated had been projected to build significantly less of the wall. Despite the controversy, the administration continues to publicly stand by Noem.
"President Trump and Secretary Noem have ensured the most secure border in our Nation’s history and our homeland is undoubtedly safer today than it was when the President took office last year," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Atlantic. "The President continues to have full confidence in the Secretary."
