House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., vowed to keep fighting President Donald Trump’s administration as he celebrated the ousting of former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whom he called an “unqualified corrupt political hack.”
“Kristi Noem presided over the cold-blooded killings of American citizens like Nicole Good and Alex Pretti,” Jeffries told reporters at a snap press conference on Thursday.
“She’s got to be put on ice permanently,” the minority leader said.
Noem is not the only person Jeffries wants to see booted from the president’s inner circle. The minority leader vowed to fight for the removal of other senior officials such as Attorney General Pamela Bondi and “cold blooded liar” Special Advisor Stephen Miller.
“Republicans have failed the American people in every possible way,” Jeffries added.
While Trump removed Noem from her cabinet post, the president tapped her to be the Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a new security initiative Trump plans to announce on Saturday in Doral, Florida.
Noem’s departure from the president’s cabinet comes in the midst of a DHS shutdown. Democrats have refused to fund the department because of Trump’s mass deportation efforts, and are demanding reforms to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, which include limiting immigration enforcement near voting locations and opening the door for states to sue the administration.
During the press conference, Jeffries suggested Democrats will not give up on their demands to reform ICE.
“We have to make sure ICE conducts itself like any other law enforcement agency in the country,” Jeffries said.
“The Trump administration is deeply unpopular. Abandon your ‘my way or the highway’ approach,” he added.
Trump announced on Truth Social on Thursday that Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will replace Noem, but Jeffries seems to believe that will come with substantial changes.
“It’s not like Kristi Noem was in charge of anything,” Jeffries said. “We will continue dealing with the White House like we have always done.”
