WASHINGTON — Sens. Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign Tuesday, making them the first Republicans in Congress to say she should step down.
Asked whether he had confidence in Noem, Tillis, R-N.C., told reporters on Capitol Hill: “No, not at all. I think she should go.”
Tillis, who is not running seeking another term in Congress, said some of Noem's actions reflected "amateurish assistant-manager-sort of thought processes," calling them "unacceptable" for someone in a Cabinet-level position.
"If I were in her position, I can't think of any point of pride over the last year," he said.
Murkowski, R-Alaska, whose term runs until January 2029, said Noem should not be running DHS.
“Yes, she should go,” Murkowski told NBC News.
Tillis and Murkowski, who have shown willingness to break with the administration more than other GOP lawmakers, made the comments days after federal officers shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where an immigration officer killed Renee Good this month.
Tillis said Noem or President Donald Trump have to decide whether she should step down.
DHS did not provide a comment on the senators' remarks, but the White House pointed to Trump's comments earlier in the day.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he still has faith in Noem, calling her work at the border “a tremendous success,” while noting that her accomplishments happened alongside border “czar” Tom Homan “and the whole group.”
Homan on Tuesday took over the reins in Minneapolis, replacing Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino as the main point of contact for immigration enforcement operations on the ground there.
After Pretti was killed last week, Noem was quick to defend federal officials, claiming Pretti had approached officers with a gun “wishing to inflict harm” on them, and that he “violently resisted” when they "attempted to disarm" him. But eyewitness video contradicted that narrative, showing that Pretti did not have a weapon in hand during the confrontation that led to his death.
The White House on Monday distanced itself from Noem’s remarks, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Trump “wants to let the facts and the investigation lead itself.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., sidestepped Tuesday when asked if he has confidence in Noem.
“She serves at the pleasure of the president,” he told reporters. “The important thing is that the president’s got confidence in his team.”
Some Republicans said they have confidence in Noem, including Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., while Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said she should implement “policy changes” at DHS and review the recent Minnesota shooting.
Centrist Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who chairs the Appropriations Committee that controls the DHS budget, didn't go as far as Murkowski or Tillis when asked about Noem.
“I have urged her to have a pause in both Minnesota and Maine on this surge of enforcement,” Collins said Tuesday.
Numerous congressional Democrats have said already said Noem should resign. Still, some warned that ousting Noem won’t change immigration policy, even if they would like to see her replaced.
“She’s unqualified, but so will the next DHS secretary,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. “The name on the door of DHS doesn’t really matter. This is an operation being run by the president and Stephen Miller.”
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said dismissing Noem “would be the smart play for the administration.”
“But I don’t want DHS Secretary Steve Miller," he said, referring to the White House deputy chief of staff for policy. "I mean, that removal isn’t enough, because then the question is, well, who are you going to put in next?”
The focus on Noem also comes as the Senate faces a crucial deadline of Friday at midnight to pass a massive funding bill or face a partial government shutdown starting Saturday. The bill is expected to come up Thursday. It requires 60 votes to advance, and Democrats have made clear they will block it unless the DHS portion is revised to include guardrails and accountability measures on immigration enforcement operations.
Murphy said no amount of executive actions or promises by Trump can win over Democrats.
“There’s nothing the administration can promise us that will do the job,” he said. “They can’t be trusted to keep to their promises. So we need to change the DHS bill and build reforms into the language of the bill.”
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said that “constructive conversations are happening” about the path forward.
“I think we should be able to land this,” he said, though he wasn’t sure it could be done by the Friday deadline to prevent a shutdown. “I don’t know about timing.”
