Topline
President Donald Trump said Tuesday Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem won’t resign amid calls from top Democrats in Congress for her to be ousted “immediately” or face impeachment proceedings and criticism from some Republicans over her response to Alex Pretti’s shooting.
President Donald J. Trump speaks to reporters before departing the White House in Washington, United States, on January 27, 2026. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anadolu via Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump said “no” when asked by a reporter if Noem would step down, adding, “I think she’s doing a very good job.”
He declined to say if he believes Pretti’s killing by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Saturday was justified, telling reporters, “Well you know 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.”
Trump sent Border Czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis this week, raising questions about Noem’s future in his administration as rumors have circulated for months Trump is unhappy with her.
Trump, however, has repeatedly denied Noem’s job is at risk when prompted by reporters, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday Trump still has the “utmost confidence and trust” in Noem.
What To Watch For
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other House Democratic leaders threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Noem if Trump doesn’t fire her “immediately.” “Federal agents who have broken the law must be criminally prosecuted,” they wrote in a statement Tuesday, adding, “Taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, not kill them in cold blood.” More than two-thirds of the Democratic caucus has co-sponsored a resolution to impeach her, though it can’t pass without GOP support. No Republicans have said they support the effort.
Chief Critics
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., urged Trump on Tuesday to fire Noem, writing on X, “Americans have died. She is betraying DHS’s core mission and trashing your border security legacy. DO NOT make the mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary.” Fetterman is a moderate Democrat and has broken with his party in the past to support some of Trump’s immigration policies, including opposing defunding Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as some Democrats have called for.
Key Background
Noem immediately demonized Pretti after he was shot and killed by federal immigration officials at a protest in Minneapolis on Saturday, publicly contradicting video footage in her description of the incident. She said Pretti “attacked those officers, had a weapon on him, and multiple, dozens of rounds of ammunition, wishing to inflict harm on these officers coming, brandishing like that, and impeding their work that they were doing.” Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse, did not pull his gun, which he was licensed to carry, in the moments before he was shot, according to video footage. He held a phone in one hand, appearing to film federal agents, then shielded a protester who was pepper-sprayed. He was then pepper sprayed and pinned to the ground by a group of agents before they appeared to remove his gun from the pile. Shots rang out moments later. Noem’s response—and those of others in the Trump administration who have blamed Pretti—has garnered pushback from some Republican lawmakers, including some who have directly criticized Noem, accusing her of a premature reaction. Similarly, Noem accused Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, of being a “domestic terrorist” and attempting to run over ICE agents with her vehicle, despite video footage showing she appeared to be turning her SUV away from the officer who shot her.
Further Reading
Fetterman Urges Trump To Fire ‘Grossly Incompetent’ Noem (Forbes)
Republican Criticism Of Pretti Shooting Grows: ICE Approach ‘Is Not Working’ (Forbes)
Trump Blames Fraud Investigation For ‘Violent…Protests’—Sends Homan Amid Minneapolis Crisis After Pretti Killing (Forbes)