Either President Donald Trump isn’t telling the reality, or Kristi Noem appears to have dedicated perjury.
There’s probably not a 3rd different, at this level.
Trump on Thursday might have simply relieved Noem of her duties, as he did. But he didn’t cease at that; he additionally repeatedly appeared to deny parts of her testimony — which she gave under oath — to the Senate this week.
Specifically, Trump took problem 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 additionally as a result of it resulted in a profitable subcontract for the husband of a now-former DHS spokesperson, in accordance 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 price 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 would have to be on board to even make a referral to the Department of Justice, which might in the end determine whether or not to pursue prices.
Still, Democrats might pursue the matter later if and once 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 once they tried to pin down precisely what Trump had accredited. But Noem clearly agreed that Trump knew in regards to 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 bit of 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 minimize 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 rapidly pivoted to the authorized course of somewhat 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 in the end mentioned it was “hard for me to believe” that Trump signed off on the quantity.
But then Schiff started asking in regards to the topic. And out of the blue Noem was extra evasive once more. Rather than reply the query, she talked in regards to 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 give 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 these questions weren’t all the time, “Yes.” If Trump was absolutely on board with all of this and knew in regards to the particulars, that would appear to be one thing Noem would need to scream from the mountaintops.
Still, due to Kennedy’s persistence, Noem in the end claimed Trump was not solely conscious of the adverts and accredited of them, but additionally consented to the greenback quantity.
That’s just about not possible to sq. with Trump’s flat denial that he “never knew anything about it.”
Noem’s greatest protection right here may be that it’s truly 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 in regards to 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, somewhat than Trump. She even mentioned he urged her to embrace 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 accordance to Noem.
It’s definitely potential Noem wasn’t telling the reality again then. But her story was detailed. And as a newly christened DHS secretary, it could appear dangerous to are available and instantly invent a dialog you had with Trump in a public occasion.
Whatever the case, who lied stays an vital query — Noem continues to be going to be a authorities worker. Trump mentioned she will proceed serving in authorities as particular envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” a coverage initiative centered 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.