Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was put in the hot seat on CNN Sunday after being backed into a corner over her “different standard” when it came to when law enforcement should be allowed to use deadly force.
Noem appeared with CNN’s Jack Tapper to fiercely defend the deadly use of force in the killing of Rene Good, a Minnesota woman who was fatally shot Wednesday by a federal immigration agent. She argued that by Good having accelerated her vehicle in the direction of the agent, she had become a physical threat, and therefore, her killing was justified.
Noem was put on the spot, however, after Tapper cued up video of supporters of President Donald Trump attacking law enforcement during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“By this standard, would any of those officers be justified in shooting and killing the people causing them physical harm?” Tapper asked.
Noem dodged the question – as she had done earlier in the interview – and instead issued a generic statement about law enforcement having the right to arrest individuals that pose a threat.
“Every single situation is going to rely on the situation those officers [are in], that they know that when people are putting hands on them, when they are using weapons against them, when they are physically harming them, that they have the authority to arrest those individuals,” she said.
“The president pardoned every single one of those people,” Tapper pointed out.
Instead of addressing Tapper’s remark, Noem went on to insist that the Trump administration was enforcing “every single” law, regardless of the circumstances, a claim that Tapper immediately called her out on for being false.
“I just showed you video of people attacking law enforcement officers. Undisputed proof, undisputed evidence, and I just said President Trump pardoned all of them, and you said President Trump is enforcing all of the laws equally,” Tapper said.
“It's just not true! There's a different standard for law enforcement officials being attacked if they're being attacked by Trump supporters, we just saw that!”
Tapper: Those are officers being attacked on Jan 6th? By this standard, would any of those officers be justified in shooting and killing the people, causing them physical harm?
Noem: When people are physically harming them, they have the authority to arrest those individuals.… pic.twitter.com/OZNMTFRNCu
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 11, 2026