Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana didn’t mince words when he discussed his recent encounter with Kristi Noem, suggesting she was in deep trouble after their exchange on Capitol Hill. According to Kennedy, it was clear to him that Noem was “dead as fried chicken” following their interaction.
The incident unfolded during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier in the week, where Kennedy rigorously questioned Noem about a $220 million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign. This campaign had been sanctioned during her tenure as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The senator recounted the details in a conversation with Fox News host Will Cain.
Just a few hours after the hearing, Kennedy received an irate phone call from then-President Donald Trump. Describing the former president’s anger, Kennedy remarked, “He was mad as a mamma wasp,” capturing the ferocity of Trump’s reaction.
During the hearing, Noem explained that the advertising initiative, which aimed to broadcast to both domestic and international audiences that illegal immigrants needed to leave the country, had been a directive from President Trump himself. She insisted that the president had specifically tasked her with this communication effort.
What took Kennedy aback was Noem’s assertion that Trump had personally approved each aspect of the campaign, a statement that left him “stunned.” This revelation added another layer of complexity to an already tense political situation, highlighting the intricate dynamics between the administration and its officials.
Kennedy said he was “stunned” that the since-fired DHS secretary testified that the president “approved every single bit” of the ad campaign.
But Trump, after apparently watching the hearing, informed Kennedy that it wasn’t the case.
“He said, ‘Kennedy, I hope you understand that I had nothing to do with this.’ I said, ‘I do believe you, Mr. President,’” the senator recalled during his appearance on “The Will Cain Show.”
“He was not happy,” Kennedy continued. “It was clear to me after that conversation that the secretary’s time at the department was limited.
“To be blunt, she was dead as fried chicken.”
Trump announced via Truth Social post Thursday that Noem was out at DHS and would be replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.).
Noem will be shifted to a special envoy role, for “The Shield of the Americas” coalition, the president said.
In an interview hours before firing Noem, Trump told Reuters that he “never knew anything about” the ad campaign.
