Kennedy Grills Noem Over Claim She Took Orders From Stephen Miller
A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing turned contentious as Sen. John Kennedy pressed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over comments attributed to her about how much influence Stephen Miller and President Donald Trump have over Department of Homeland Security decisions.
Kennedy cited reporting from January 27 alleging Noem said, “Everything I’ve done I’ve done at the direction of the president and Stephen.” He said it was “on the record.” According to CBS News live coverage of the hearing, Kennedy asked Noem whether that phrasing was accurate and whether she was blaming Miller for controversial remarks.
Noem rejected the characterization, telling the panel that the reporting depended on anonymous sources and that she never made the quoted statement. Instead, she said she “enjoys working with the president and with Stephen Miller,” without acknowledging the specific wording the senator cited.
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The exchange comes amid heightened scrutiny of Noem’s leadership over DHS immigration enforcement, particularly after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis and her initial characterization of those incidents as domestic terrorism drew bipartisan rebukes.
Lawmakers including Senator Maggie Hassan have also urged an investigation into whether public statements by Noem and Miller injected bias into federal probes of those killings — a request grounded in testimony from senior ICE officials that public comments can shape the direction of internal investigations.
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Kennedy’s questioning underscores a broader conflict over accountability and influence within DHS, spotlighting how public messaging by top officials intersects with enforcement outcomes and congressional oversight.
Whether the January 27 report’s quote can be verified in full will likely be a flashpoint as lawmakers continue to examine leadership decisions at DHS.
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