President Donald Trump has quietly asked Republican lawmakers if he should remove the controversial Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. This comes amid rising tension within the administration following contentious congressional hearings and a plethora of scandals involving the department.
Multiple Republicans familiar with the situation say Trump has been calling GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill to see if dismissing Noem would be a wise political move.
The discussions began after Noem testified before both the Senate and House Judiciary Committees earlier this week. Her appearances resulted in heated exchanges with lawmakers and brought renewed focus on the administration’s immigration policies.
During these hearings, Democrats sharply criticized Noem over several issues related to the Department of Homeland Security. These issues included the agency’s tough immigration enforcement and a controversial advertising campaign linked to the department.
At one point, Representative Joe Neguse asked Noem about a $220 million border security advertising campaign that featured her and was awarded to a select group of contractors. Noem defended the project during the hearing and stated that the contract process followed federal rules.
BREAKING NEWS in @PunchbowlNews AM
PRESIDENT TRUMP has started quizzing the Hill on whether he should fire DHS Secretary KRISTI NOEMhttps://t.co/AmOuc4Yz86
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 5, 2026
“Career officials handled the procurement,” Noem said during her testimony, insisting that the contracts were awarded legally and without political interference.
However, the hearings grew combative. Lawmakers pressed Noem on her policy decisions and her leadership of the department as immigration enforcement actions increased nationwide.
This tense testimony seems to have frustrated Trump and it was particularly concerning for him when Noem suggested during questioning that he had approved the advertising campaign. Some officials close to the White House say Trump disputes that claim.
This disagreement led Trump to reach out to Republican lawmakers to determine if replacing Noem would be politically beneficial or harmful.
Trump’s outreach included talks with senators and House leaders, including discussions that took place after the hearings ended.
Even Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned the possibility of leadership changes at the Department of Homeland Security during a recent Republican leadership retreat in Florida, according to attendees.
Noem faces scrutiny from both parties regarding the department’s immigration strategy and several high-profile incidents involving federal enforcement operations.
Earlier this week, Noem defended her controversial comments in which she labeled two slain U.S. citizens as domestic terrorists based on initial reports during an enforcement operation.
She declined to retract that statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, stating her comments were based on the information available at that time.
“I was responding to the information that was provided in real time,” Noem said when questioned by senators.
The administration’s immigration crackdown has relied on thousands of federal agents deployed in large-scale enforcement actions across various cities. This approach has faced criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who argue that the operations have become chaotic and politically damaging.
Noem, a former governor of South Dakota, was nominated by Trump to lead the Department of Homeland Security after his return to the White House and was confirmed by the Senate in early 2025.
Despite the internal discussions about her future, Trump has not publicly indicated plans to remove Noem from her position.
For now, it seems the president is assessing political support within his party before deciding on one of the key figures in his immigration crackdown.
