Two Republican senators just did something almost unheard of in today’s GOP: they publicly demanded a Trump Cabinet member resign.
Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are now calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to step down—making them the first Republicans in Congress to break ranks over the immigration chief’s disastrous tenure.
THE DETAILS: “No, not at all. I think she should go,” Tillis told reporters on Capitol Hill when asked if he has confidence in Noem. He didn’t mince words, calling some of her actions “amateurish assistant-manager-sort of thought processes” that are “unacceptable” for someone running a Cabinet-level agency.
“If I were in her position, I can’t think of any point of pride over the last year,” Tillis added.
Murkowski kept it short: “Yes, she should go.”
The calls come days after federal officers shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where an immigration officer also killed Renee Good earlier this month. Noem rushed to defend federal officials, claiming Pretti approached officers with a gun “wishing to inflict harm” and that he “violently resisted.” One problem: eyewitness video directly contradicted her account, showing Pretti didn’t have a weapon in hand during the confrontation.
Even the White House distanced itself from Noem’s spin, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Trump “wants to let the facts and the investigation lead itself.”
BUT BUT BUT: Don’t expect the rest of the GOP to follow Tillis and Murkowski’s lead anytime soon. Senate Majority Leader John Thune dodged when asked about Noem, offering only that “she serves at the pleasure of the president.” Trump, meanwhile, told Fox News he still has faith in Noem, calling her border work “a tremendous success.”
Of course, Tillis isn’t running for re-election—meaning he has nothing to lose by speaking up. Murkowski, whose term runs until 2029, has long been one of the few Republicans willing to criticize the administration.
WHY IT MATTERS: Democrats have been calling for Noem’s resignation for days, but Republicans breaking ranks is a different story entirely. Still, some Democrats are warning that replacing Noem won’t actually change anything.
“She’s unqualified, but so will the next DHS secretary,” said Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut. “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 put it more bluntly: “I don’t want DHS Secretary Steve Miller.”
The Noem drama is playing out as Congress faces a Friday midnight deadline to pass a massive funding bill or trigger a partial government shutdown. Democrats have made clear they’ll block it unless the DHS portion includes guardrails on immigration enforcement. So while two GOP senators calling for Noem’s head is notable, the bigger fight over what federal agents can actually do—and who they can kill—is just getting started.