Trump privately asked GOP lawmakers about firing DHS secretary Noem

President Donald Trump privately asked some Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill whether he should fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Jake Sherman reported in a March 5 Punchbowl News column, a revelation that follows two days of aggressive congressional oversight and has elevated questions about DHS operations and procurement.

Noem testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 3 and the House Judiciary Committee on March 4, where Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed her on a $220 million advertising campaign that prominently featured the DHS secretary. Senator John Kennedy pressed whether the president personally approved the advertising effort and warned the campaign risked putting Trump "in a terribly awkward spot," Mediaite and Yahoo reported. Committee questioning also focused on why the ad contract went to a firm tied to someone close to Noem, an allegation reported in Punchbowl and repeated in subsequent accounts.

At the hearings House Democrats repeatedly asked Noem about her relationship with senior adviser Corey Lewandowski; Noem dismissed those questions as "tabloid garbage," according to Mediaite and Yahoo. Senator Thom Tillis sharply criticized Noem, called on her to resign, and threatened to slow Senate business until his questions were answered. Those confrontations left lawmakers across the aisle demanding more detailed oversight of DHS operations, procurement and detention policies.

The White House pushed back on reporting that Trump was leaning toward ousting Noem. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital, "Everything about this is total Fake News. Secretary Noem is doing a great job implementing the President’s agenda and making America safe again. MS Now continues to beclown themselves by inventing narratives that simply are not true." DHS official Tricia McLaughlin also mocked the reporting, saying, "I can't speak for the President, but I've seen more credible reporting on Big Foot," as quoted by Fox News Digital. Some outlets described McLaughlin as a former DHS spokesperson and noted the advertising contract was linked to a firm run by her husband; reporting on McLaughlin's current title and the contract connection differed across accounts.

Media outlets also reported internal friction, with an MS Now piece cited by Fox naming Stephen Miller as among officials allegedly pushing for Noem's removal; the White House disputed that characterization. Fox also cited MS Now naming Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin as a potential contender to replace Noem. Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly raised the possibility of a DHS leadership change during a recent Republican leadership retreat in Fort Lauderdale, according to Punchbowl.

President Trump publicly defended Noem in multiple appearances, saying "No" when asked if she would step down and answering "I do" when asked if he had confidence in her, and adding, "Who closed up the border? She did…with Tom Homan, with the whole group. I mean, they've closed up the border. The border is a tremendous success," as reported by PBS. CBS News had earlier reported Noem faced internal scrutiny after the fatal Minneapolis shooting of Alex Pretti but was expected to remain in place; CBS quoted Trump saying "no" when asked if she would step down and "I think she's fine."

Separately, a briefing provided to this reporting said Senator Steve Daines announced his retirement and Representative Tony Gonzales admitted to an affair; those items were included in the original brief accompanying these accounts but were not detailed in the congressional coverage of Noem.

The private conversations by the president and the heated committee exchanges put procurement, detention policy and confirmation politics at the center of a federal oversight fight. Lawmakers on both sides say they will press DHS for documents and witnesses, while Republican divisions over timing and the prospect of a contentious confirmation fight complicate any immediate leadership change at a department central to the administration's immigration agenda.