Kristi Noem has become the first cabinet secretary removed during President Donald Trump’s second administration, departing her role as Secretary of Homeland Security following a pair of congressional hearings that drew sharp scrutiny from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
The fall unfolded over two days on Capitol Hill.
Noem appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.
Both sessions produced exchanges that sources close to the White House described as damaging to her standing with the president.
At Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana directed pointed questions at Noem regarding a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign that prominently featured her likeness.
“How do you square that with the fact that you have spent $220 million running television advertisements that feature you prominently?” Kennedy asked during the hearing.
Noem defended the expenditures, telling the senator, “Sir, the president tasked me with getting the message out to the country and to other countries with putting commercials out that if they were in the country illegally, that they needed to leave.”
Kennedy indicated he was unconvinced. “I’m not saying you’re not telling the truth. It’s just hard for me to believe,” he said, suggesting the campaign served to raise Noem’s personal public profile rather than strictly advance immigration enforcement messaging.
“They were effective in your name recognition,” Kennedy told Noem during the hearing. “It puts the president in a terribly awkward spot.”
Noem’s claim that Trump had personally authorized the $220 million ad campaign reportedly drew a strong reaction from the president.
Kennedy told reporters after the hearing that Trump was “mad as a murder hornet” and was already weighing whether to replace her, says the New York Post.
The following day, Noem appeared before the House Oversight Committee, where Democratic Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California asked whether she had engaged in a personal relationship with Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee who works for the White House.
“Have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?” Kamlager-Dove asked directly during the hearing.
Noem dismissed the inquiry. “I am shocked that we’re going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee today,” she responded, declining to answer the specific question.
“I would tell you is that he is a special government employee who works for the White House. There are thousands of them in the federal government.”
Kamlager-Dove pushed back on Noem’s refusal to answer.
“You should be able to answer if someone asks if you or any federal official is sleeping with their subordinate. It’s the easiest. You should be wanting to answer that question,” the congresswoman said.
Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida continued the line of questioning, pressing Noem for an explicit denial.
“Is that no?” Moskowitz asked after Noem described the questions as “ridiculousness” and referenced what she called tabloid sources.
“I think the ridiculousness of this and the tabloids that you are quoting and referencing are insane,” Noem said. “This is a thing I have refuted for years.”
Noem also addressed the committee directly: “You say conservative women are stupid or sluts. I am neither.”
Sources inside and close to the White House told the Post that Trump had long been aware of speculation surrounding Noem’s relationship with Lewandowski, who served as Trump’s first presidential campaign manager in 2016, and had made jokes about it over the years.
However, those same sources said Trump viewed Noem’s failure to issue a direct denial at Wednesday’s hearing as deeply damaging to her credibility at a moment when it was already eroding.
On Thursday, Trump announced Noem’s departure from DHS. He named Sen. Markwayne Mullin as her replacement.
Lewandowski currently holds the title of special government employee, a designation that applies to thousands of federal workers across agencies.
