Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., declined Tuesday to publicly back Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following the weekend's fatal shooting of another anti-ICE protester in Minneapolis.
"That's the president's judgment call," Thune told reporters when asked about Noem, a fellow South Dakotan he has known for years and introduced at her confirmation hearing just one year ago.
Noem has faced mounting criticism since Border Patrol agents fatally shot Alex Pretti last Saturday, marking the second fatal incident this month.
Thune said Tuesday he supports an impartial investigation into Pretti's death, calling for reviews by state and local authorities as well as an independent federal probe outside the Department of Homeland Security.
"Clearly, there are a lot of questions that have to be answered," he said, adding that investigations are "necessary ... any time there's a shooting like that and lives lost."
Noem has faced intense scrutiny over the administration's immigration enforcement tactics following the fatal shooting of Pretti, 37. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he continues to stand by his embattled secretary amid the controversy.
"I think she's done a very good job," Trump said as he departed the White House for Iowa. "The border is totally secure."
However, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Tuesday that Noem should step down.
"I voted for her. I think the president needs to look at who he has in place as the Secretary of Homeland Security. I would not support her again, and I think it probably is time for her to step down," Murkowski said.
Although Thune stopped short of endorsing Noem's record, he has likewise declined to fully defend other Trump officials under fire in recent months, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in December.
Thune did, however, double down on praise for Trump's decision to send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota, calling him "an experienced pro" and saying the move provides "an opportunity to evaluate and really assess the policies and procedures" at the heart of the immigration enforcement effort.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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