President Donald Trump posted a late-night message on Truth Social defending Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, as criticism grows — and calls for her ouster intensify — after two fatal law-enforcement shootings in Minneapolis, RadarOnline.com can report.
Trump’s Late-Night Defense
In a post published close to 10:00 p.m., Trump argued that Noem’s critics were attacking her because she is a woman. He also praised her work running the Department of Homeland Security, despite recent signals that he may have been keeping some distance from her publicly.
“The Radical Left Lunatics, Insurrectionists, Agitators, and Thugs, are going after Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, because she is a woman, and has done a really GREAT JOB!” Trump wrote.
Noem, 54, has come under heightened scrutiny following the death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who was killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on January 24. Her leadership had already faced pressure amid impeachment efforts tied to a separate fatal ICE shooting involving Minneapolis mother Renee Good on January 7.
Signs of Tension Inside the Administration
This week, tensions appeared to surface within the administration. Noem was notably not highlighted during a Cabinet meeting, and Trump tapped border czar Tom Homan to take over operations in Minneapolis.
In the roughly 180-word post, Trump credited Noem’s leadership with what he described as major gains in border enforcement and public safety. He also repeated claims that violent crime has plunged nationwide.
“The Border disaster that I inherited is fixed, the violent criminals that were allowed into our Country through Sleepy Joe’s ‘sick’ Open Border Policy, are largely gone, or being strongly sought for purposes of removal, and the Murder Rate in the USA just reached the lowest level in history, 125 years!” Trump wrote. “Washington, D.C., is now one of the safest cities in America – Likewise, numerous other once very dangerous cities!”
The White House has amplified similar messaging in recent weeks, describing a drop in violent crime as a “direct result” of Trump’s policies. Still, crime analysts have pointed out that national crime trends were already moving downward before Trump returned to office, raising questions about how much credit the administration can claim.
Trump Targets Minnesota Democrats
Trump also accused Democrats of using protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a political distraction, while escalating his attacks on Minnesota leaders — including Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
“Republicans, don’t let these Crooked Democrats, who are stealing Billions of Dollars from Minnesota, and other Cities and States from all over the Country, push you around,” Trump wrote. “They are using this aggressive protest SCAM to obfuscate, camouflage, and hide their CRIMINAL ACTS of theft and insurrection. They should all be in jail. I was elected on Strong Borders, and Law and Order, among many other things. Thank you to Secretary Kristi Noem.”
The post stands as Trump’s most aggressive defense so far of Noem, as political pressure mounts over DHS-related operations in Minneapolis.
