Kristi Noem given humiliating new role by Trump after summit with the Ice Maiden over deadly Minnesota meltdown
Donald Trump reined in Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after an icy White House meeting overseen by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles following another deadly shooting involving an immigration agent in Minnesota.
The internal scrutiny of Noem intensified after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday, an incident she characterized as an act of domestic terrorism despite widespread questions about how federal agents handled incident.
The President hit Noem with questions regarding her handling of the shooting and initial response during their late-night meeting, according to reports. Noem’s adviser and rumored lover Corey Lewandowski was at her side during the Oval Office gathering.
By the end of the night, Noem was ordered to shift her focus away from interior immigration enforcement operations and instead concentrate on securing the southern border.
Meanwhile, Noem’s longtime rival, White House Border Czar Tom Homan, is expected to take over command of the Minneapolis crackdown.
Although Trump did limit Noem’s authority, she is expected to keep her job as the president’s top immigration officer – for now.
Noem’s law enforcement ally on the ground, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, was also withdrawn along with scores of his agents. Initially, Noem and Lewandowski elevated Bovino to oversee high-profile immigration raids in U.S. urban centers including Los Angeles, Chicago and, most recently, Minneapolis.
The decision stirred internal anger among immigration agents aligned with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because those operations traditionally fell under their jurisdiction, not Border Patrol’s.
Kristi Noem faces internal scrutiny by the White House over her department’s handling of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti
Trump is assigning Noem to oversee protecting the southern border and other matters but not immigration enforcement in the internal parts of the country.
Pretti, 37, was shot dead by a border patrol officer in Minneapolis on Saturday after struggling with agents
Bovino was sent packing to California on Monday night as Homan prepared to takeover ground operation of Minneapolis. The Daily Mail can confirm that Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott revoked Bovino’s access to government issued social media accounts.
Homan was present in the West Wing throughout all of Monday before departing to Minneapolis.
Trump is betting that Homan can work out a deal with Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Walz for state and local law enforcement to work with ICE in exchange for their gradual departure from the Twin Cities.
Trump spent hours on Sunday and Monday watching cable news coverage and was unsettled by how the administration was being portrayed, one official told CNN.
Also in attendance at Noem’s White House meeting with the president was Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Communications Director Steven Cheung.
On Sunday, Noem referred to Pretti as a ‘domestic terrorist’ – something that Trump appeared to disagree with.
‘I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it,’ Trump told the Wall Street Journal.
During a press briefing Monday, Leavitt said she had ‘not heard the president characterize’ Pretti as a domestic terrorist.
Trump wants Noem to refocus her efforts towards the southern border while her rival Tom Homan takes control over internal immigration enforcement
Kristi Noem is facing Trump’s wrath as he orders her longtime rival, border czar Tom Homan, to clean up the chaos caused by her immigration crackdown in Minneapolis
Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, House Democrats launched an investigation into Noem, while 140 members of the party have co-sponsored an impeachment resolution.
Some Republican lawmakers have also expressed concern that Noem’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota may have gone off the rails.
The Democratic impeachment bill alleges that Noem has been self-dealing, obstructed Congress and violated public trust.
A spokesperson for DHS said that the efforts were ‘silly’ and Democrats should focus on fixing crime problems in their districts.
The minority party will also launch an investigation into Noem’s work at DHS without any assistance from Republicans.
Senator Elizabeth Warren publicly called on the House to impeach Noem and demanded she resign.
Republican Rand Paul has also called multiple top immigration officials to testify at a February 12 hearing.
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons have had their presence requested.
Meanwhile, Noem will testify before the Senate on March 3 as part of regular oversight, Politico reported.
