Perspective: For Trump, Noem is now less a political asset, and more a liability - her days look numbered.
Kristi Noem is under mounting pressure as the fallout from the fatal shooting of two American citizens by immigration officers in Minneapolis spreads. In what could be a fatal blow to her standing, President Donald Trump sidelined his Homeland Security Secretary Monday, announcing he was dispatching Noem's rival, border czar Tom Homan, to Minnesota to tackle the growing anti-ICE protests.
Around the same time, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to back Noem's depiction of Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot on Saturday morning, as a domestic terrorist who was there “to perpetuate violence.“ As the firestorm over the fatal shootings of both Pretti and, earlier in January, Renee Nicole Good, threatens to engulf the nation, Trump's patience appears to be running out with the combative and controversial Noem. Despite her unflinching loyalty, she now looks less like a political asset, and more like a liability. Noem's chances of becoming the first member of Trump's cabinet to leave during his second term in office have soared. Here's why: Homan called in Announcing he was sending Homan to Minnesota, Trump said: “Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me.“ Noem welcomed the move, writing on X: “This is good news for peace, safety, and accountability in Minneapolis. I have worked closely with Tom over the last year and he has been a major asset to our team—his experience and insight will help us in our wide-scale fraud investigations, which have robbed Americans, and will help us to remove even more public safety threats and violent criminal illegal aliens off the streets of Minneapolis.“ However, despite her warm words, it is a clear sign that Noem’s influence within the administration is waning and that she is fast losing the trust of the president. She has effectively been sidelined from handling the very situation she is supposed to be managing, massively undercutting her authority. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Washington. DHS and ICE become national flashpoint Noem sits at the center of a national crisis. Two fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minnesota have turned DHS—and by extension ICE—into a national flashpoint. Noem has defended the operational details of the deployment of 2,000 ICE agents to Minneapolis, appearing repeatedly on television to justify tactics that many Americans now view as excessive or reckless. Her insistence that Operation Metro Surge is “lawful, measured and necessary“ is increasingly at odds with emerging video evidence, local officials’ accounts and growing bipartisan unease. DHS losing control of the narrative Politically, Noem’s problem is that she is absorbing blame without offering Trump protection. Democrats have made her a focal point for oversight hearings and potential funding fights, while even some Republicans privately question whether DHS has lost control of the narrative. The secretary’s hard-line messaging—heavy on moral certainty and light on acknowledgment of mistakes—is falling flat as anger grows over the shootings of two American citizens and conduct of ICE agents across the city. Noem’s visibility working against her Trump has historically responded to prolonged controversy by removing officials once they become lightning rods. From Jeff Sessions to Mark Esper, loyalty has never guaranteed longevity. Noem’s visibility now works against her: she is tied not just to immigration enforcement in the abstract, but to a specific operation that has become synonymous with disorder. What the Right is saying Supporters on the Right have largely defended Noem’s approach, portraying her as a firm enforcer of federal immigration law and an effective protector of public safety. For example, some GOP lawmakers and commentators emphasize that Noem is acting where local officials have “encouraged illegal activities,“ aligning with her stance that federal enforcement is necessary to curb crime and uphold the rule of law. Minnesota GOP Rep. Pam Altendorf said: “We’re in a dangerous place when elected Dems are encouraging illegal activities.“ However, criticism from the Right has also emerged—not over her toughness, but over messaging and missteps. Several gun rights advocates and some Republican officials have faulted Noem and FBI director Kash Patel for asserting that carrying loaded firearms to protests was illegal in Minnesota—a claim that state law does not support. What the Left is saying Leading Democrats have blasted Noem’s management of ICE operations, saying her unapologetic defense of federal force has worsened tensions. Rep. Ilhan Omar criticized both Trump and Noem for their response to the shooting of Good, arguing it was “not acceptable“ to malign a victim before investigations concluded. Senate Democrats, including Sen. Jacky Rosen, called for Noem’s impeachment, accusing her of misleading the public and mismanaging DHS. “Kristi Noem has been an abject failure leading the Department of Homeland Security for the last year—and the abuses of power we’re seeing from ICE are the latest proof that she has lost control over her own department and staff,“ Rosen said in a statement. Minneapolis City Council member Aisha Chughtai added bluntly: “The number one deadly killer of Minneapolitans right now is ICE.“ What's next for Noem? Noem's departure is not guaranteed, and Trump is certainly capable of doubling down. Noem remains popular with the MAGA base. However, her inability to protect the president over the growing outrage of the Minneapolis operation means she's skating on very thin ice.
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