Kristi Noem appeared to suggest the Department of Homeland Security was responsible for election security and said she would ensure the “right people” were voting to elect “the right leaders.”
“Elections is another one of those critical infrastructure responsibilities that I have as well, and I would say that many people believe that it may be one of the most important things that we need,” the DHS Secretary said at a press conference Friday.
“To make sure we trust is reliable, and that when it gets to election day that we’ve been proactive to make sure that we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country through the days that we have – knowing that people can trust it.”
During the conference in Arizona, which has been one of the hotspots of national election fraud conspiracies, Noem said she had the authority to identify “vulnerabilities” in the election system and implement “mitigation measures” to ensure elections are “run correctly” at both a state and national level.
The comments sparked outrage online, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer added: “This is Trump’s idea of democracy: leaders get to select their voters instead of the other way around.”
Homeland Dems added: “DHS talking about the ‘right people’ voting should alarm every American.After the President threatened to nationalize elections, the threat is unmistakable.”
Republicans Against Trump rote on X: “Saying the quiet part out loud.”
The Independent has contacted the DHS for clarification on Noem’s remarks.
It comes after the House passed the SAVE America Act Wednesday, a bill that would require Americans to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections through showing a photo ID.
If signed into law, the legislation would also force states to remove non-citizens from electoral rolls, though it must still pass the Senate, where some Republicans have indicated they may not support its passage.
On Friday Donald Trump appeared to suggest that he would sign an Executive Order forcing photo ID to be shown at elections, even if it was not congressionally approved. “There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president’s words have led to critics’ concerns over potential for tampering with the midterm elections in Novembers, and the potential for legal voters to be dismissed over technicalities with their documentation.
Noem pushed back on such suggestions on Friday, saying: “Each of the arguments laid out to criticize this bill are baseless speculation from the radical left because they want illegal aliens to vote in our elections.”
It comes after a bombshell report alleged that the DHS is in a state of “constant chaos” under Noem’s leadership, and that of her top adviser Corey Lewandowski.
The Wall Street Journal cited sources within the department who are highly critical of Noem and described her as a politician who has sought to “burnish her personal stardom at every turn.”
Noem has “staged a headline grabbing immigration crackdown while sidelining rivals and dissenters,” the newspaper states, noting the secretary’s penchant for posing in agency-branded flak jackets and caps and bearing guns as props “all with an eye to her style, with TV-ready hair and makeup.”
It reports that President Donald Trump has entertained calls to fire Noem and Lewandowski amid discontent about their management of the department, although he has so far refrained from doing so.
