Trump backs Noem as House Democrats escalate impeachment threat
Plus: Eleanor Holmes Norton calls it quits, Alexander Vindman launches Senate bid and leading media watchdog judges Grok unsafe for teens.
First Things First
👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Moments after President Donald Trump told reporters on the South Lawn that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem would not be removed and praised her work securing the southern border, House Democratic leadership threatened to impeach her if she isn’t fired.
The statement by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (Calif.) comes amid broader Democratic efforts to withhold funding for DHS and intensifying calls from—including moderate Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Rep. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.)—for Noem’s impeachment or resignation over handling of the Renee Good and Alex Pretti shootings and characterization of the victims, as outrage and protests spread nationally.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” the leaders said.
Trump struck a different tune, though.
“I think she’s done a good job. I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is totally secure. You forget we had a border that I inherited, where millions of people were coming through. Now we have a border where no one is coming through. They come into our country legally,” he said before traveling to Iowa to give a speech on the economy. “So you have to remember those things. You know, people forget. As soon as you accomplish something, it goes into history and nobody ever wants to talk about it.”
Trump declined to say if Pretti’s death was justified but said his administration was conducting an investigation.
“I want to see the investigation. I’m going to be watching over it,” he said. “I want a very honorable and honest investigation. I have to see it myself.”
