Fetterman urges Trump to fire Noem over DHS raid
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Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired after Alex Pretti was shot and killed in Minneapolis during a deadly immigration raid, he tells Axios by phone Tuesday morning.
Why it matters: Fetterman was one of just a few Democrats to support Noem's nomination. He said he hopes his cordiality with President Trump means his demands will carry more weight than those of other senators.
What he's saying: Fetterman called Noem "inept and absolutely incompetent" in an interview with Axios.
- "It's become an ungovernable and dangerous urban theater. There's no way to recover or to redeem this operation," Fetterman said, referencing DHS's cooperation in Minneapolis.
- He said he doesn't want DHS to conduct similar operations in Pennsylvania cities.
Context: The White House has softened its tone and reshuffled its leadership in its Minnesota immigration crackdown as the political backlash has grown and public approval for the administration's aggressive immigration tactics has cratered.
- It marked a departure from the heated rhetoric that Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller used in the wake of Pretti's shooting death Saturday.
- Trump told reporters Tuesday that he wouldn't fire Noem, according to The Hill.
State of play: Fetterman tells Axios his reluctance to throw "hissy fits" over other Trump stories — like the White House ballroom or Greenland — should give his statements more sway with Republicans and Trump.
- "I hope when I call Trump to fire her, you know, I like to think that that might matter more," he said.
Friction point: Critics — particularly liberals and progressives in Pennsylvania — have bristled at Fetterman's behavior during Trump's second term.
- 72% of Democratic voters in Pennsylvania disapprove of the way Fetterman is handling his job, while 59% of Republicans approve, according to a recent Morning Consult poll.
- Surveys conducted over the last three months of over 11,000 registered voters in Pennsylvania. Margins of error of +/-1% to +/-2%.
Fetterman said he votes with Democrats over 90% of the time and that his immigration stances have been consistent over the years.
- He said when he met with Trump last January, he told Trump how important it was to protect Dreamers, aka DACA recipients.
- He said he has always advocated for strong border enforcement, interior enforcement that only targets immigrants with criminal records, and a path to citizenship for "taxpaying, hard-working migrants that are just here and making America better."
- He is not leaving the Democratic Party.
Yes, but: Fetterman said Monday that he won't join the call from other Democratic senators to shut down the government over ICE funding.
The bottom line: Fetterman said he wants to see discussion about comprehensive immigration reform rekindled.
- He believes that's easier with Noem gone, and he advocated for Democrats to avoid "extreme rhetoric," like comparing DHS, ICE and border patrol to Nazis.