Either President Donald Trump isn’t telling the reality, or Kristi Noem appears to have committed perjury.
There’s probably not a 3rd different, at this level.
Trump on Thursday may have simply relieved Noem of her duties, as he did. But he didn’t cease at that; he additionally repeatedly appeared to disclaim parts of her testimony — which she gave below oath — to the Senate this week.
Specifically, Trump took subject together with her claims that he was conscious of and had accredited a controversial $220 million Department of Homeland Security advert marketing campaign that prominently featured Noem.
(The advert marketing campaign is controversial not simply due to the greenback quantity and the way a lot it promoted Noem personally, but in addition as a result of it resulted in a profitable subcontract for the husband of a now-former DHS spokesperson, in response to a report by ProPublica.)
Noem repeatedly signaled in her testimony that Trump was conscious of and even accredited of the advert marketing campaign. Trump is telling a really totally different story.
“I never knew anything about it,” he advised Reuters on Thursday, shortly earlier than Noem was ousted.
“I didn’t know about it,” Trump added later in an interview with NBC News.
But how instantly does that contradict Noem’s testimony? And who seems to have advised the reality?
It’s value noting that even when Noem did commit perjury, it’s uncommon to see somebody prosecuted for mendacity to Congress. Some Democrats are already beating this drum on Noem, however Republicans must be on board to even make a referral to the Department of Justice, which might finally determine whether or not to pursue expenses.
Still, Democrats may pursue the matter later if and after they management extra levers of presidency.
Let’s break down what we all know.
Noem confronted questions on this topic Tuesday from each Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana and Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California.
She was at occasions evasive after they tried to pin down precisely what Trump had accredited. But Noem clearly agreed that Trump knew concerning the advert marketing campaign and even the greenback quantity, and that he consented to them.
When Kennedy requested her if Trump requested her to run the adverts, Noem mentioned, “We had that conversation, yes …”
Perhaps sensing a little bit wiggle room in Noem’s reply, Kennedy requested once more whether or not “you’re testifying that President Trump approved this ahead of time.”
“We had conversations about making sure that we were telling people…” Noem started.
But Kennedy lower her off, seemingly sensing that she was avoiding a direct reply.
“No, ma’am. I’m asking you — sorry to interrupt,” Kennedy mentioned. “But the president approved, ahead of time, you spending $220 million running TV ads across the country in which you are featured prominently?”
Finally, Noem answered instantly: “Yes, sir.”
“We went through the legal processes, did it correctly, worked with (the Office of Management and Budget) –” she added.
Kennedy once more, although, appeared to consider this was considerably evasive — that she mentioned “yes” however then shortly pivoted to the authorized course of quite than Trump’s position.
So he twice requested her if Trump knew she was going to do the adverts.
Noem twice replied, merely, “Yes.”
Kennedy finally mentioned it was “hard for me to believe” that Trump signed off on the quantity.
But then Schiff started asking concerning the topic. And all of the sudden Noem was extra evasive once more. Rather than reply the query, she talked concerning the significance of the adverts’ message.
When requested how she knew Trump accredited of spending $220 million, Noem replied: “We had conversations and worked with OMB to make sure that the funding was there.”
Schiff saved attempting. He requested whether or not she had “conversations directly with the president where he approved this $220 million ad campaign” and whether or not “the president approved this expenditure.” Both occasions, Noem talked across the questions.
What to make of this?
It’s considerably regular for politicians to present evasive solutions. It’s why they typically don’t reply with yesses or nos however as a substitute put issues in their very own phrases.
But it’s unusual how the solutions to those questions weren’t all the time, “Yes.” If Trump was totally on board with all of this and knew concerning the particulars, that will appear to be one thing Noem would wish to scream from the mountaintops.
Still, on account of Kennedy’s persistence, Noem finally claimed Trump was not solely conscious of the adverts and accredited of them, but in addition consented to the greenback quantity.
That’s nearly unattainable to sq. with Trump’s flat denial that he “never knew anything about it.”
Noem’s finest protection right here could be that it’s really Trump who isn’t telling the reality.
After all, as the Atlantic noted late Thursday, this isn’t the primary time Noem has mentioned Trump was conscious of and accredited of the adverts. She additionally mentioned so again in February 2025, shortly after these conversations would have taken place.
Appearing on the Conservative Political Action Conference, Noem recalled detailed conversations with Trump concerning the advert marketing campaign.
She mentioned Trump cited the “beautiful ads you did about South Dakota,” and mentioned, “I want you to do those for the border.”
She additionally mentioned the president advised her that she ought to seem within the adverts, quite than Trump. She even mentioned he urged her to incorporate particular content material: “I want you to thank me for closing the border.”
“They will run throughout the world, letting America and the world know it has a new leader,” Trump mentioned, in response to Noem.
It’s actually potential Noem wasn’t telling the reality again then. But her story was detailed. And as a newly christened DHS secretary, it will appear dangerous to come back in and instantly invent a dialog you had with Trump in a public occasion.
Whatever the case, who lied stays an essential query — Noem continues to be going to be a authorities worker. Trump mentioned she’s going to proceed serving in authorities as particular envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” a coverage initiative targeted on the Western Hemisphere.
So who’s telling the reality? The outgoing DHS secretary with the credibility problem? Or the president with the credibility problem? Stay tuned.