President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday he has no plans to ask Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem to step down from her role.
Trump was asked about Noem’s status during a gaggle with reporters outside the White House. He told the press that he still thinks Noem is doing a ‘great job.’
‘Is Kristi Noem going to step down?’ a reporter asked.
‘No,’ Trump responded bluntly.
He later said he believes she is doing a ‘very good job,’ citing her role in closing down the border.
His statement comes as Noem is facing widespread criticism after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minnesota this month.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., called on Trump to fire her directly on Tuesday. In a post on X, the senator accused Noem of ‘betraying’ the department’s central mission.
‘I make a direct appeal to immediately fire Sec. Noem,’ Fetterman wrote.
‘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,’ he said.
Unlike other Democratic senators, Fetterman typically takes a more pragmatic stance toward Trump and the broader GOP on issues including immigration and border security. In recent weeks, Fetterman had encouraged his party to avoid calls to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
As the Trump administration has been having federal authorities crack down on illegal immigrants around the U.S., the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota have caused an uproar.
‘Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti should still be alive. My family grieves for theirs,’ Fetterman said in a statement on Monday.
‘The operation in Minneapolis should stand down and immediately end. It has become an ungovernable and dangerous urban theatre for civilians and law enforcement that is incompatible with the American spirit,’ he noted.
Fox News’ Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.