Donald Trump and his closest team are currently considering the option of sacrificing Kristi Noem, the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The failure of the Metro Surge operation in Minnesota, which has resulted not only in the deaths of two Americans and a Venezuelan injured by a bullet, but also in countless injuries, protests, demonstrations, and lawsuits, is taking its toll on the Administration, both in the polls and within its own ranks, with the possibility even of the federal government having to shut down again, either partially or entirely, in the coming days. And for many, Noem is the face of everything that is wrong.
On Monday, Trump unceremoniously relieved the head of the Border Patrol, Gregory Bovino, sending Tom Homan, his border czar (his official title), to Minnesota in his place, a heavyweight politically to take control, calm the situation, and build bridges with local and state authorities. Bovino, who had been empowered by Noem, has returned to his official position in Southern California, but as reported by media outlets such as CNN and The Atlantic, even his access to social media has been revoked. He has lost trust and will soon retire from service.
Noem could be next. The president met with her for two hours on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday, before boarding a helicopter at the White House, he ruled out her dismissal, at least for now. "I think she is doing a very good job. I think she is doing an excellent job. The border is completely secure, you know? They forget that I inherited a border where millions of people were entering. Now we have a border where no one enters. Only people enter our country illegally. So we have to remember these things because people forget; as soon as something is achieved, it becomes history and no one wants to talk about it," he said.
There are multiple accounts and sources that speak of how he is actually very upset about the reputational crisis and partly blames his minister, for the methods, but also for the strategy. Instead of taking credit, since the border is effectively closed and hardly anyone enters, his popularity is declining. Even immigration policy has dropped 11 points in polls asking about support for Executive actions. That is why they are studying how to get out of the hole they have dug themselves to focus on what does have support: border areas and the expulsion of convicted criminals.
The deployment of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Border Patrol is also in court, further undermining the Administration's image. Acting ICE director Todd Lyons has been summoned to appear before a federal court this Friday to try to convince the judge why he should not be held in contempt for failing to comply with a court order in the case of a man challenging his detention, as well as for the case of a two-year-old girl who was taken to Texas against another judge's order. Judge Patrick Schiltz warned on Monday morning that the court's "patience" with the Trump Administration "has run out".
Everything is taking its toll and pushing for Noem's dismissal. However, at the same time, the president, in his second term, has been characterized by having more patience than in the first term. And less tolerance for external pressure and failure. The huge criticisms, especially from his party, led him to dismiss his first choice for attorney general (Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, accused of engaging in paid sex with minors and using drugs in the Capitol). He did so reluctantly and with enormous frustration, and from then on, he refused to replace other controversial candidates for key positions. He preferred to threaten one by one the senators who were sympathetic to avoid another humiliating retreat.
He did not want to repeat the spectacle of his early years, in 2017, when positions lasted weeks or days, amid dismissals and resignations. That is why, even when he was furious with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz after Waltz mistakenly invited a journalist to a message group where a classified bombing in Yemen was discussed, he did not fire him, but instead sent him as an ambassador to the UN. He also did nothing when it was confirmed that the FBI had videos showing his border czar, Homan, accepting tens of thousands of dollars from undercover agents posing as businessmen in exchange for possible roles as an intermediary or facilitator with the Executive.
Noem's case is different. Congress will request her impeachment, a political trial to force her removal. It is not only the Democrats, although they have been the driving force. On Monday, their leaders in Congress issued a statement saying that "the government is using taxpayers' money to kill American citizens, brutalize communities, and violently attack law-abiding immigrant families (...) Drastic changes are needed in the Department of Homeland Security. Federal agents who have violated the law must be criminally prosecuted. Paramilitary tactics must cease immediately. Taxpayers' money should be used to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, not to cold-bloodedly kill them. Kristi Noem must be removed immediately, or we will initiate impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives. We can do it the easy way or the hard way," warned House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, his number two Katherine Clark, and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar.
There is more. Independents like Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman have asked Trump for her head ("Americans have died and she is betraying the DHS's main mission and destroying its border security legacy. Do not make the mistake that President Biden made by not firing an extremely incompetent secretary"), and among Republican ranks, they believe that her sacrifice is the only possibility to redirect the situation. Blaming her for what happened in Minnesota and for what they consider the Administration's main mistake, which instead of focusing on the pursuit and deportation of criminals - something supported by the party, but also by a broad majority of society - has multiplied raids and detentions of citizens with no criminal record, forcing millions of people to carry their documents and constantly justify themselves in an atmosphere of fear and violence.
Noem has been one of the most controversial and divisive figures in the Administration from day one. She was a member of Congress for eight years and governor of her state, South Dakota. She took office amid mockery and concern over the account she gave in a memoir of how she had killed a rebellious dog that was not good for hunting. Since then, she has been dubbed ICE Barbie for her choice of outfits in every setting she appeared in, dressed in uniforms from various agencies and emergency services. Her undeclared business dealings with firms that made millions with public authorities have been reported, as well as her relationship with Corey Lewandowski, Trump's 2016 campaign manager, accused of sexual assault by the wife of a prominent conservative donor.