Kristi Noem FALLS APART under CROSS-EXAM at SENATE HEARING!!
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Kristi Noem was cross-examined by both Democratic and Republican senators during a Senate hearing.
- ❖Senators questioned DHS's purchase of luxury jets, including a 737 with a bedroom, for command and control, and deportation flights.
- ❖Noem faced scrutiny over a $220 million advertising contract featuring her, with allegations it was funneled to political allies.
- ❖She denied calling Alex Prey and Renee Nicole Good 'domestic terrorists' and disputed reports of blaming Steven Miller for such statements.
- ❖Noem was pressed on the deportation of DACA holders and the alleged targeting and abuse of U.S. citizens by ICE agents.
- ❖She denied the existence of arrest quotas within DHS, despite public statements from Steven Miller indicating otherwise.
- ❖Noem committed to investigating specific cases of alleged medical neglect and agent misconduct presented by senators.
Insights
1DHS Luxury Jet Purchases Under Scrutiny
Democratic Senator Whitehouse presented photos of a private jet with a bedroom, alleging it was a luxury aircraft used by Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski. Noem stated the planes (737s) were for long-range command and control, mandated by Congress, and would save taxpayers money by replacing contracts for ICE deportations. She claimed the specific plane shown was being refurbished to remove the bedroom.
Senator Whitehouse showed photos of a private jet interior with a bedroom. Noem stated, 'These photos are not accurate. If you're referring to the airplanes that the Department of Homeland Security has purchased and are purchasing, uh we're using them uh for uh long range command and control aircraft. That is dictated in statute by Congress... I've been on it once, but it is being used by other administration officials and it is used for command and control flights for the department.' She added, 'I believe it's being refurbished and not having a bedroom in it.'
2$220 Million Advertising Contract Featuring Noem Questioned
Republican Senator Kennedy cross-examined Noem about a $220 million taxpayer-funded advertising contract for DHS that prominently featured her. He alleged the money was funneled to firms connected to her political past. Noem asserted the president tasked her with the campaign, it went through competitive bidding, and career officials chose the firms. She denied that the chosen firms had done her political work in South Dakota, attributing such claims to subcontractors she had no authority to investigate.
Senator Kennedy stated, 'you have u spent $220 million running television advertisements that feature you prominently?' Noem responded, 'the president tasked me with getting the message out to the country... with putting commercials out that told them that if they were in this country illegally that they needed to leave...' She claimed, 'Yes, they did. They went out to a competitive bid and career officials at the department chose who would uh do those advertising commercials.' Kennedy countered, 'the people that you ended up picking um were people who had formerly done your political work back in South Dakota. Is that right?' Noem replied, 'No, that's not correct, sir.'
3Contradictory Statements on 'Domestic Terrorist' Label
Democratic Senator Klobuchar and Republican Senator Kennedy questioned Noem about her past statements labeling Alex Prey and Renee Nicole Good as 'domestic terrorists' after their killings. Noem denied directly calling them terrorists, stating she said it 'appeared to be an incident of' domestic terrorism, based on information from a chaotic scene. She also denied blaming Steven Miller for these statements, attributing such reports to anonymous news sources.
Senator Klobuchar stated, 'you calling him a domestic terrorist. This was directly from them the day after he was killed...' Noem responded, 'Sir, I ma'am I did not call him a domestic terrorist. I said it appeared to be an incident of.' Senator Kennedy later asked, 'you blamed those statements on Mr. Steven Miller at the White House, did you not?' Noem replied, 'No, sir, I did not. And in fact, where you're seeing that is in a news article of anonymous sources... I've never said that at all.'
4DACA Deportations and Alleged ICE Misconduct
Democratic Senator Durbin challenged Noem on the deportation of DACA holders who had passed criminal background checks, citing a specific case of a woman deported within 24 hours. Noem stated DHS follows all applicable laws but did not know the details of the specific case. Separately, Senator Blumenthal detailed the alleged shooting of Miramar Martinez by an ICE agent who then bragged about it on social media, and the violent arrest of U.S. citizen Javier Ramirez who was denied medical treatment. Noem claimed ignorance of these specific incidents but committed to investigating them.
Senator Durbin stated, 'ICE arrested 261 DACA holders and deported 86 of them... Why did you deport them?' Noem replied, 'Uh sir, we follow all laws as applicable to the Department of Homeland Security...' Senator Blumenthal quoted an agent saying, 'I fired five rounds and she had seven holes. Put that in your book, boys.' and 'Cool. I'm up for another round of f around and find out.' He also described Javier Ramirez's arrest: 'He was on his own private property when he was assaulted by mass agents... despite telling officers that he is a United States citizen and even showing them his passport.'
5Denial of ICE Arrest Quotas Despite Miller's Statements
Democratic Senator Coons questioned Noem on whether DHS operates with quotas or numerical targets for immigration arrests, citing Steven Miller's public statements about setting goals for 3,000 arrests daily. Noem repeatedly denied the existence of quotas, stating DHS conducts targeted law enforcement operations against criminals. She saw no need to issue a memo rejecting quotas because there was 'no discussion or requirement on numerical quota targets.'
Senator Coons asked, 'does DHS, Madam Secretary, operate on any quotas or numerical targets for immigration arrests every day?' Noem responded, 'No, Senator, we do not. We do targeted law enforcement operations...' Coons then quoted Steven Miller: 'We're setting a goal, a minimum of 3,000 arrests for ICE every day.' Noem reiterated, 'sir? There is no quotas at the Department of Homeland Security.'
Lessons
- Demand transparency and accountability for federal spending on government aircraft and advertising campaigns, particularly when public figures are prominently featured.
- Scrutinize official statements regarding sensitive events like domestic terrorism, cross-referencing them with public records and victim accounts to ensure accuracy and prevent mischaracterization.
- Advocate for clear policies and oversight within immigration enforcement agencies to prevent the deportation of eligible individuals, ensure due process for all, and address allegations of agent misconduct and medical neglect.
- Press for clarity on operational metrics within law enforcement agencies to confirm whether numerical quotas are influencing enforcement actions, potentially leading to untargeted arrests or civil rights violations.
- Support legislative efforts to reform immigration laws, as suggested by Senator Durbin, to address perceived shortcomings in current enforcement practices and ensure humane treatment.
Quotes
"These photos are not accurate. If you're referring to the airplanes that the Department of Homeland Security has purchased and are purchasing, uh we're using them uh for uh long range command and control aircraft. That is dictated in statute by Congress..."
"No, that's not correct, sir. I think it is. No, it's not, sir. Uh we the individuals who uh I believe the careers who they chose uh were two different media firms. Um there's been conversation about their subcontractors, but we have no legal authority to look into subcontractors on work like that."
"Sir, I ma'am I did not call him a domestic terrorist. I said it appeared to be an incident of..."
"No, sir, I did not. And in fact, where you're seeing that is in a news article of anonymous sources, and anonymous sources say a lot of things, but it is I've never said that at all."
"Sir, we enforce the law. The laws that are passed by this body and signed into statute on the process for individuals that are in this country illegally that have final removal orders and the process given in immigration law. We continue to follow that. And if you don't like the law, I would suggest you change the law."
"No, Senator, we do not. We do targeted law enforcement operations going after those worst of the worst criminals that are here."
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