Americans have learned not to expect much from their public servants, yet a few politicians still manage to trip on the amazingly low bar. In little more than a year in office, Kristi Noem suffered countless self-inflicted embarrassments, repeatedly slandered her opponents, and helped tank public approval for her boss on what had been his best issue. On Thursday, the president corrected the error he made by hiring her in the first place, and proved that there is still a bar at all.
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Noem will exit as head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the end of the month, to be replaced by Oklahoma senator Markwayne Mullin once he secures confirmation. The shuffle came after a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday at which Noem offered dozens of insults and no apologies to lawmakers with valid doubts about her record.
Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat, gave Noem a chance to explain and retract her claim that two people shot and killed by federal immigration agents in January had engaged in “domestic terrorism.” That term doesn’t match the activities of either Renee Good or Alex Pretti. Whether or not they broke the law in the course of protesting immigration enforcement, neither showed any sign of having arrived with the intention of attacking or killing anyone. Yet Noem made no apology, even after two months to reflect, and blamed her bad info on the “chaotic scene” on the ground. It’s more likely that she simply chose to use the term, since the deputies who informed her deny that they accused either Good or Pretti of terrorism.
