Fired Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem angrily lashed out late Sunday night after a Republican senator trashed her tenure during an interview on “60 Minutes.”
Appearing on the troubled CBS newsmagazine as he promotes his book, “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents,” retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) managed to antagonize Noem, who now serves as Donald Trump's special envoy to the Shield of the Americas initiative.
During the “60 Minutes” interview, Tillis noted, “I was thinking about the $200 million that the Department of Homeland Security was spending on an ad campaign with her riding a horse. I was thinking about her calling people that were shot, potentially domestic terrorists. That's proven not to be true.”
Asked by interviewer Ross Douthat, “Why do you think the president picked her?" Tillis replied, “I think there are some people that are in the Cabinet because, to use the president's term, ‘they're right out of central casting.’ I think Noem and [Defense Secretary Pete] Hegseth are probably the poster children for men and women who should never have the authority they've been granted.”
Those comments apparently set off Noem, who shared the CBS clip — which did not make her look good — on X and wrote, “Thom Tillis attacks me because I was effective. I made it clear that we were going to enforce our immigration laws, and we delivered. Millions of illegal aliens voluntarily left our country.”
"He talks about the cost of the ads but leaves out the cost of detaining and deporting illegal aliens - roughly $18k per person. Under my leadership as Secretary and by encouraging people to leave voluntarily, we saved taxpayers $40 billion and freed up law enforcement to go after other dangerous criminals. That doesn’t even include the costs avoided when people decide to not enter our country in the first place,” she insisted.
“I also saved taxpayers $15 billion by cutting lucrative contracts that had gone to some good old boys’ companies for years. They answered to the American taxpayer on my watch. Tillis can keep attacking me and President Trump. We delivered what the American people voted for. Good riddance, Senator. Your retirement is long overdue,” she concluded.
Several of her critics on X agreed with Tillis, with filmmaker Jeremy Newberger responding, “You were garbage and thankfully you are gone.”
“Just go away,” pollster Rick Shaftan advised.
Thom Tillis attacks me because I was effective. I made it clear that we were going to enforce our immigration laws, and we delivered. Millions of illegal aliens voluntarily left our country.He talks about the cost of the ads but leaves out the cost of detaining and deporting illegal aliens - roughly $18k per person. Under my leadership as Secretary and by encouraging people to leave voluntarily, we saved taxpayers $40 billion and freed up law enforcement to go after other dangerous criminals. That doesn’t even include the costs avoided when people decide to not enter our country in the first place.I also saved taxpayers $15 billion by cutting lucrative contracts that had gone to some good old boys’ companies for years. They answered to the American taxpayer on my watch.Tillis can keep attacking me and President Trump. We delivered what the American people voted for.Good riddance, Senator. Your retirement is long overdue. https://t.co/mTs2w71U5R
— Special Envoy Kristi Noem (@EnvoyNoem) October 5, 2026