Conservative Publication Demands Immediate Dismissal of Homeland Security Chief
The National Review, a heavyweight voice in conservative media, has issued a stark demand to President Donald Trump: fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem without delay. This forceful call comes in the wake of a fatal shooting incident in Minneapolis that has plunged the administration into a deepening crisis of credibility and control.
Mounting Pressure After Minneapolis Tragedy
Secretary Noem, 54, finds herself in profoundly hot water with the White House following the deadly shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday. The incident, which occurred during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation, was labelled an act of 'domestic terror' by the head of Homeland Security, immediately putting Noem at odds with President Trump's public stance.
Her handling of the volatile situation was scrutinised during a tense Oval Office meeting on Monday night. The outcome was a direct order for Noem to shift her operational focus away from ICE activities within the United States and concentrate efforts solely on the Southern Border.
National Review's Blistering Critique
However, the National Review argues this demotion of responsibilities does not go nearly far enough. In a scathing op-ed published Monday, staff writer Jeffrey Blehar contended that Trump should 'fire her into the sun'. He asserted that, at a bare minimum, the DHS secretary must become the least visible member of the administration to mitigate the escalating political damage.
Blehar pinpointed Noem's early public analysis of the shooting as sufficient grounds for dismissal. He characterised the secretary's narrative—that the tragedy resulted from a tragic miscommunication among officers, possibly triggered by an accidental weapon discharge—as the 'best possible' version available, yet fundamentally inadequate and misleading.
A Litany of Failures and Calls for Accountability
The journalist accused the Trump administration of irresponsible grandstanding with its Minneapolis ICE operation, urging officials to exercise better judgement in choosing their battles. 'Any hope of Trump’s presidency clawing its way out of the hole it has dug for itself begins with firing Kristi Noem,' Blehar wrote, describing her as the administration's most prominent 'ridealong disaster' during its first year.
He implored the President that the single most effective message to take from the piece was the urgent need to 'stanch the bleeding by canning [his] most incompetent lieutenant'. Failing outright termination, Blehar pleaded for Trump to, at the very least, publicly denigrate and demote Noem, while also suggesting a sweeping purge of nearly all DHS leadership except for Tom Homan.
Contradictions and a Family's Anguish
The secretary's version of events has been starkly contradicted by multiple bystander videos. Noem had insisted, just hours after the shooting, that Pretti 'brandished' a legally owned handgun at officers. Yet footage appears to show the victim holding his phone to film the agents' actions while using his other hand to shield a woman being pepper-sprayed, with no weapon visible.
On Sunday, Noem dodged direct questions about the shooting, promising an investigation but reiterating that her agents 'clearly feared for their lives'. Both President Trump and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt have since distanced themselves from Noem’s contentious comments.
Internal Fallout and Political Repercussions
The internal fallout is spreading rapidly. Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Greg Bovino, who had publicly described the agents involved as 'victims', was withdrawn from Minneapolis on Monday. Sources indicate he is being ousted from his position entirely.
Meanwhile, the political pressure is intensifying. Multiple Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill have joined the chorus calling for Noem's resignation. The tragedy continues to spawn significant friction within conservative circles, exposing deep rifts over law enforcement tactics and public narrative.
A Family's Plea for Truth
At the heart of the storm lies a grieving family. In a powerful statement, the family of Alex Pretti condemned the 'sickening lies' told about their son by the administration as 'reprehensible and disgusting'. They passionately defended Pretti, a man with no criminal record who worked for the US Department of Veterans Affairs, as a 'good man' and pleaded for the truth about his final moments to be revealed.
As the National Review's incendiary demand echoes through Washington, the future of Kristi Noem hangs in the balance, emblematic of a broader administration struggle with accountability and crisis management in the face of a national tragedy.
