LOS ANGELES (OC).–President Donald Trump fired 54-year-old former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as Homeland Security.Kristi Noem has been embroiled in controversy over the shooting deaths by Immigration, Customs Enforcement [ICE] Jan. 7, 24 in Minneapolis demonstrations of 37-year-old Rene Nicole Good and 37-year-old Alex Pretti, Noem defended Border Patrol agents fiercely, antagonzing an already volatile situation regarding Trump’s immigration enformcement policy. Noem became the story by grandstanding in her job, strutting around like the White House star, when it’s all Trump’s show, proving she didn’t know her place. When she testified yesterday in the Senate Judiciar Committee she was hammered by Democrats and Republicans, largely for the overly aggressive approach to ICE and Border Patrol. Noem defended ICE shootings in Minneapolis as self-defense.
After firing Noem in classic Trump fashion, he appointed Sen. Markwayner Mullin (R-Ok.) to replace Noem. Trump said Noem would be reassigned as “Specal Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” essentially sending her back to an Indian reservation. Noem deserved to get canned not just based on her meager performance in the Senate Judiciary Committee but also her shenanigans with Lewandowski, something she couldn’t deny under oath. But Noem’s biggest problems stemmed from the way she grandstanded at Homeland Security, spending money wildly on offensive TV ads, portraying her as a female John Wayne, riding herd on non-citizens, admonishing them to tak her deal to voluntarily deport. Trump’s immigration policy has been a disaster, largely because so much of country is Latino based on illegal immigration well over the last100 years. What are generations of Latinos supposed to do after living illegally in the U.S. fore generations?
Instead to sticking to the border and only hunting down hardened gang members and criminals, Noem’s approach to ICE and Border Patrol enforcement was harassing people at Home Depots and car washes, something the rubbed ordinary citizens the wrong way. Changing Directors at Homeland Security means nothing if Noem’s replacement doesn’t pivot from the current policy and focus more on the border and known criminals.he’s going to drive voters Democrat in the Midterm elections. Most voters don’t care about Trump’s economic and foreign polices but they don’t like to see a federal goon squad harass citizens in their own communities. Border Patrol and ICE have do a better job of going about their business in a quiet way, not grandstanding in U.S. communities.
Trump was irked by questions about Noem’s 220 million ad campaign featuring her as Annie Oakley riding herd on illegal alients, urging them to self-deport. Kristi thought TV ads would make her a household name but instead got her fired for grandstanding. Let there be no mistake, Noem was fired by Trump not because of her testimony but her lavish approach to the job where she felt inclinded to use DHS funds for her own branding. If’s there’s anything can’t tolerate is someone trying to outdo him in terms to attention and publicity. Noem became a spectacle defending ICE and Border Patrol who shot street protesters, essentiall wrecking Trump domestic immigration enforcement program. Noem’s autobiography didn’t help her reputation when she admitted shooting an incorrigible dog. Trump should have known then that she was no Merlin of PR.
How long Noem last in her new token position is anyone’s guess. One thing’s for sure, she won’t be part of Trump’s Cabinet, demoting herself to a minor position. Trump has a lot of fish to fry prosecuting his war with Iran, trying to figure out where he’s trying to take the current military action. He’s told the press there were many reasons for attacking Iran, mainly because of its potential nuke program and current ballistic missile capability. In five short days of war, Iran has shot ballistic missile all through the Arab Gulf States as far at British assets in Cyrus. Whatever drove Trump’s decision about Iran’s mullah regime, it’s true colors have come out hitting the Mideast with everything in the arsenal. As U.S. and Israeli forces degrade arsenals and rocket launchers, expect the pace of the Iranian barrage to slow down, though the regime grows more desperate by the day.
Noem was an unwanted distraction to an administration trying to manage the U.S. economy and an unstable foreign policy,.now embroiled in an escalating conflict. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has given order to his Navy to take down any Iranian ships, only recently sinking an Iranian destroyer with a topedo, the first incident of its kind since WW II. So, Trump considers that U.S. and Israel consider themselves in an existential war with Iran. Iran announced that the late Ayatollah’s Khamenei’s son Mojtaba, considered more hardline than his father, was named the new Ayatollah. Israel promptly said he’s now a legitimate target for IDF forces. Trump warned that the next leader could end up worst than the late Ayatollah Ali Khaemenei. Trump says that to remind everyone in his Cabinet to prioritize their jobs not grandstand and make a spectacle like Noewm
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
