Conservative Magazine Brands Homeland Security Secretary as Administration's Biggest Liability
The conservative publication The National Review issued a scathing assessment on Monday, declaring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem the single most incompetent official serving under President Donald Trump. The magazine's criticism centers on Noem's handling of Saturday's fatal shooting incident involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
A Call for Immediate Dismissal
Staff writer Jeffrey Blehar penned the blistering editorial that not only called for Noem's firing but suggested she be launched into the sun. While The National Review has previously broken with Trump on various issues, Blehar argues that Noem represents the administration's most pressing problem, exacerbating already sky-high tensions following the Minneapolis shooting.
Blehar wrote emphatically: "Any hope of Trump's presidency clawing its way out of the hole it has dug for itself begins with firing Kristi Noem, current secretary of homeland security and the administration's most prominent 'ridealong disaster' during its first year." He added with dramatic flair: "Preferably out of a rocket, and into the sun."
Controversial Remarks and Eyewitness Accounts
The controversy stems from Noem's characterization of the incident during a Saturday press conference at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C. She stated: "This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism. That's the facts."
Blehar countered this assessment on Monday, questioning Noem's interpretation: "Oh, are they? Alex Pretti committed 'domestic terrorism' by being there? 'This looks like a situation where an individual arrived to inflict maximum damage and kill law enforcement,' Noem said. I am envious of her mind-reading ability." He offered his own perspective: "For my own part, I saw a guy executed while face down on the street."
Escalating Tensions and Previous Incidents
The editorial highlights how Noem has become what Blehar calls the administration's "most visible avatar of damage," particularly citing her press conference statements. He pleaded directly with Trump: "Stanch the bleeding by canning your most incompetent lieutenant."
This incident follows a pattern according to critics. Noem similarly blamed the victim earlier this month after an ICE officer in Minnesota shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good. During Saturday's press conference, Noem refused to answer whether federal agents had disarmed Pretti before shooting him, instead placing responsibility squarely on the deceased.
Eyewitness Evidence and Administration Response
Eyewitness videos from Saturday appear to show Pretti filming an interaction between two women and a federal agent before approximately six agents wrestled him to the ground, disarmed him, and fired around ten rounds into his body. Noem's assertion that Pretti wanted to "kill law enforcement" has been characterized as baseless by critics who point to the visual evidence.
Blehar criticized what he called Noem's "previously undisclosed powers of clairvoyance" in making these claims without evidence. He suggested Trump doesn't necessarily need to fire her but could "at least denigrate and demote" her, making Noem "the least visible member of this administration."
A Path Forward for the Administration
The editorial concludes with strategic advice for the president: "So instead, bank a win in this case by acknowledging that you have been let down by one of your subordinates, and restore public confidence by taking her to the figurative gravel pit. Just my advice."
This represents a significant moment of conservative criticism directed at a key Trump administration official, highlighting internal tensions and concerns about leadership within the Department of Homeland Security during a period of heightened national scrutiny over law enforcement practices.
