Republicans are increasingly voicing alarm over Kristi Noem, signaling that the Homeland Security secretary’s troubles now extend well beyond public backlash over Immigration and Customs Enforcement and into deeper concerns about her ability to run one of the federal government’s most sprawling agencies.
According to a Politico report published Thursday, Noem is facing growing unrest within her own party over a series of dysfunctions inside the Department of Homeland Security, including mounting tensions over her leadership of FEMA and decisions that have slowed disaster relief and undermined confidence among Republican lawmakers. While Donald Trump has insisted she will not be fired, the report suggests that patience on Capitol Hill is wearing thin.
“President Donald Trump has insisted Noem will not lose her job,” Politico reported, “but her handling of other things under her agency’s sprawling remit – from disaster relief to the gutting of the nation’s cybersecurity agency – is increasingly alienating Republicans at a time when she needs them most.” Noem is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in March, a hearing that could further expose the cracks forming within her party.
Among the most outspoken critics is Thom Tillis, who told Politico that DHS under Noem lacks experienced leadership. “You’ve got to get adults in the room,” Tillis said. “Get people in there who actually have the kind of experience you need to run large, complex organizations. And there’s a lot, by the way, in this Cabinet that do that. It’s just not her.”
Other Republicans have echoed similar concerns. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York told CNN that “a lot of people question her ability to lead this agency, particularly after what has happened,” adding that “all options need to be on the table” if a more capable leader is available.
While immigration enforcement has drawn the most public scrutiny, some of the sharpest criticism has focused on Noem’s management of Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tillis recently devoted much of a Senate floor speech to FEMA, accusing Noem of creating new bureaucratic bottlenecks by requiring her personal approval for any spending over $100,000 — a policy Republicans say has delayed urgently needed disaster aid.
Those delays have had real-world consequences, particularly in North Carolina, where hurricanes Helene, Matthew, and Florence caused widespread devastation. Hurricane Helene alone left 250 people dead and caused nearly $80 billion in damages. According to Tillis, FEMA’s response under Noem has been slow and unnecessarily complicated.
“The data clearly shows that something is seriously wrong here,” Tillis said. “Under Secretary Noem’s lack of leadership, FEMA has invented an entirely new set of bureaucracies, the likes of which I’ve never seen.”
Trump publicly reaffirmed his support for Noem during remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., but the growing chorus of Republican criticism suggests her position may be far less secure than the White House claims. With dissatisfaction now spreading across multiple corners of DHS, Noem’s tenure appears increasingly imperiled — not by Democrats, but by members of her own party who are running out of patience.
