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By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced sharp questioning from a Republican senator during Senate testimony Tuesday, with Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana telling her that costly television advertising tied to her department risked putting President Donald Trump in an “awkward spot.”
It was Noem’s first appearance on Capitol Hill since the fatal shootings of two protesters in Minneapolis intensified scrutiny of the administration’s mass deportation efforts.
In a notable moment of GOP criticism, Kennedy cited more than $200 million spent on DHS television ads, saying the expense could draw backlash from budget hawks such as Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought.
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“Well, they were effective in your name recognition,” Kennedy told Noem. “To me, it puts the president in a terribly awkward spot.”
Why It Matters
Tuesday's hearing was the first time Secretary Noem appeared before Congress since the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis: Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
While she has testified to lawmakers a few times over the past year, Republicans have largely shown support for Noem and her department, while Democrats have grilled her on her agents' actions and the Department of Homeland Security's record on deportations.
Why Is Kristi Noem Testifying?
Noem appeared before the Senate committee amid the ongoing partial shutdown of the DHS due to a funding lapse, as well as ongoing questions over her leadership of DHS following multiple controversies regarding immigration enforcement.
While funding was mentioned during the hearing, committee members opted to focus on the latter issue.
Senator Kennedy Questions Noem: What To Know
Kennedy asked Noem about the DHS and ICE TV ads, framing concerns about costs around the Trump administration's efforts to cut waste within the federal government.
"The president tasked me with getting the message out to the country and other countries where we were seeing the invasion come from," Noem responded. "With putting commercials out that told them if they were in this country illegally, that they needed to leave or we would detain them and deport them."
The senator asked if Trump had approved the ad campaign, and whether the contracts were put out for bids, which Noem confirmed.
"The people that you ended up picking were people who had formerly done your political work in South Dakota, is that right?" Kennedy asked, with Noem denying that, saying, "We have no legal authority to look into sub-contractors like that."
Kennedy repeatedly asked Noem if Trump had approved the $220 million price tag for the campaign which heavily featured Noem, telling her he did not believe the president would have green-lit it. The senator said it troubled him that such a campaign would go ahead when the government is "scratching for every penny".
Kristi Noem Hearing: What She's Said
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Noem was grilled by Democrats and some Republicans over her handling of immigration enforcement, in particular the situation which unfolded in Minnesota in recent months, which included federal agents fatally shooting Good and Pretti.
In the immediate aftermath of Good's death on January 7 and Pretti's on January 24, Noem and others within the Trump administration branded them as "domestic terrorists", with Kennedy asking the secretary about these statements on Tuesday. He asked her why she attributed her rhetoric on senior White House advisor Stephen Miller.
Noem said she had not said as much, with Kennedy pointing to a statement she made on January 27, "Everything I've done, I've done at the direction of the president and Stephen," Noem had said. She told Kennedy Tuesday, "I enjoy working with the president and Stephen Miller."
The secretary was also questioned about the way she had described the two Americans following their deaths. Ranking Member Dick Durbin, of Illinois, said there was plenty of video evidence proving the domestic terrorist line was wrong and asked Noem if she would retract these statements
Noem said she had offered her condolences and could not imagine what families were going through, but added that when situations unfold she and other officials are working quickly to gather information as quickly as possible. Durbin said that agents had testified they had not called Pretti a domestic terrorist.
"How did you think that calling them domestic terrorists at that scene was somehow going to calm the situation?" Durbin asked, with Noem repeating similar answers.
"Is it so hard to say you were wrong?" Durbin asked Noem.
Noem was also questioned on whether DHS was following federal court orders, and why there were multiple reports of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients being deported. The secretary repeated that her department follows the law as enacted by Congress.
What Happens Next
The hearing continued Tuesday, with Noem also set to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
Update 3/3/26, 11:44 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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