Sen. Thom Tillis has publicly urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign, calling her leadership "amateurish" amid fallout from recent enforcement shootings. Tillis cited the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Goodin and accused senior aides of incompetence, while urging de-escalation and respect for affected communities. Several Republican senators—including Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins—expressed concern or called for reviews, and the administration replaced a local commander and continues to publicly back Noem. Independent investigations and congressional scrutiny are likely to continue.
Sen. Thom Tillis Calls for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to Resign, Cites 'Amateurish' Leadership
Thom Tillis said on Tuesday evening that he has no confidence in Noem's abilities as Homeland Security Secretary. / Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Republican Senator Thom Tillis on Tuesday publicly urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign, criticizing her handling of recent enforcement operations and saying her leadership has become a liability for the administration.
Context and Controversy
Tillis pointed to a string of controversial shootings as the backdrop for his remarks. He referenced the recent shooting of Alex Pretti and the earlier death of 37-year-old mother-of-three Renee Nicole Goodin, who was shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Those incidents, Tillis said, reflect broader problems with how the department is conducting operations.
Tillis's Criticism
“What she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying,” Tillis told reporters. “She should be out of a job. I mean, really. It’s just amateurish. It’s terrible. It’s making the president look bad on policies that he won on.” He argued that the administration’s immigration message has been overshadowed by concerns about competence at the Department of Homeland Security.
Thom Tillis said that senior Trump aide Stephen Miller “never fails to live up to my expectations of incompetence.” / BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images
“He won on a strong message on immigration, and now nobody’s talking about that. They’re not talking about securing the border. They’re talking about the incompetence of the leader of Homeland Security and the other people — Bovino, whatever his name is, he needs to go back to California, get his retirement papers and go. These people are amateurs. They gotta de-escalate there and treat these communities with some respect.”
Tillis also questioned Noem’s judgment, citing a personnel episode in which she reportedly fired a FEMA director within 24 hours after he disagreed with her comments about eliminating FEMA. “These are amateurish, assistant manager sort-of thought processes going on in somebody who’s a secretary in a cabinet-level position, it’s unacceptable,” he said.
Broader GOP Reaction
Other Republican senators expressed varying levels of concern. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she would not support Noem again and urged the president to reconsider the department’s leadership. “I think the president needs to look at who he has in place as the Secretary of Homeland Security. I would not support her again, and I think it probably is time for her to step down,” Murkowski told CNN.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins asked Noem to pause operations in both Maine and Minnesota and called for a more narrowly targeted approach and an independent investigation into Pretti’s death. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy told CNN he had confidence in the investigation into the incidents.
Following Bovino's demotion on Monday, calls have continued to mount for Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski to also be removed from their roles. / The Daily Beast/Getty
Administration Response
Under mounting pressure, the administration made several personnel and PR moves. Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino was removed from the Minneapolis assignment and replaced by former enforcement official Tom Homan, who will report directly to the president. Noem and her top aide, Corey Lewandowski, met with the president in the Oval Office for two hours as calls for accountability continued to mount.
The White House publicly affirmed support for Noem. In a recent statement, the president said he believed Noem was doing a “very good job” and asserted that the border was secure.
Investigations and Next Steps
Tillis had earlier called for a “thorough and impartial” investigation into Pretti’s death. Several senators, including Collins, have urged independent reviews of the incidents in Minnesota and Maine. As lawmakers from both parties press for answers, questions remain about the future leadership and policies at the Department of Homeland Security.
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