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Will Kristi Noem be fired? Republicans and Democrats call for DHS Secretary to resign ‘immediately’
Both Republicans and Democrats are calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired in the aftermath of Alex Pretti's fatal shooting.
Both Republicans and Democrats are calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired for her handling of the fallout after two people were killed by federal agents. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was fatally shot by a federal agent – the second person to be killed by ICE this month, after Renee Nicole Good.
House Democratic leaders release statement
House Democratic leaders threatened to launch impeachment proceedings in a joint statement if Noem isn’t fired “immediately.” The statement was co-signed by Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, Katherine Clark, the Democratic Whip and Pete Aguilar, the Democratic Caucus Chair, and accused the Trump administration of using taxpayer dollars to “kill American citizens, brutalize communities and violently target law-abiding immigrant families.”
“Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives,” they said. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
“Taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, not kill them in cold blood,” the House leaders wrote.
Two Republican senators call for Kristi Noem to resign
Sens. Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski have called for Noem to step down, making them the first Republicans in Congress to say she must resign, according to NBC News. On being asked if had confidence in Noem, Tillis, R-N.C., told reporters on Capitol Hill, “No, not at all. I think she should go.”
Tillis, who is not running seeking another term in Congress, added that some of Noem's actions reflected "amateurish assistant-manager-sort of thought processes," calling them "unacceptable" for someone serving in a Cabinet-level position.
"If I were in her position, I can't think of any point of pride over the last year," he said.
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Murkowski, R-Alaska, echoed the same thought, saying Noem should be running DHS. “Yes, she should go,” she told NBC News.
What did Donald Trump say?
Trump has addressed calls for Noem to be removed from her position in the aftermath of Pretti’s death. “No,” he told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on being asked if Noem would resign, according to the New York Post. “I think she’s doing a very good job.”
Noem quickly defended federal agents after Pretti’s fatal shooting, claiming Pretti had approached officers with a gun “wishing to inflict harm” on them, adding that he “violently resisted” when they "attempted to disarm" him. However, eyewitness video appeared to contradict the narrative, revealing that Pretti did not have a weapon in hand during the confrontation with ICE agents.
The White House later appeared to distance itself from Noem’s remarks. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump “wants to let the facts and the investigation lead itself.”
