Kristi Noem is reportedly crafting a discreet strategy to leave her position within the Trump administration, aiming for a return to the Senate. This move comes in response to growing public disapproval of the president’s aggressive deportation policies. The catalyst for Noem’s plan was the tragic incident involving 37-year-old ICU nurse, Alex Pretti, who was shot by an immigration agent in Minneapolis. Initially, Noem and top White House officials labeled Pretti as a ‘domestic terrorist’ soon after the incident gained online attention. However, their narrative unraveled when footage surfaced showing agents disarming Pretti before the fatal shooting. The FBI is currently investigating potential civil rights violations by the agents involved.

Following Pretti’s death, public sentiment shifted significantly, with polls indicating widespread disapproval of Trump’s immigration tactics among Americans. In light of this, Noem, along with her rumored partner Corey Lewandowski, commissioned a poll to assess her public approval ratings, as reported by the Daily Mail. Around the same period, South Dakota voters were polled on their preference between Noem and the state’s Republican Senator Mike Rounds, as reported by the Atlantic.

Having already served two terms as South Dakota’s governor before joining Trump’s team, Noem’s potential Senate run has sparked confidential discussions among Trump’s close advisers. These talks revolve around delaying any changes in Homeland Security leadership until after the upcoming filing deadline, according to the Atlantic. A national Republican strategist remarked to the Atlantic that “Mike Rounds is so unpopular amongst Republican primary voters, he’d lose to a dead dog,” highlighting the contentious political landscape Noem might navigate.

Other GOP operatives were more supportive of Rounds, adding that he has maintained electoral leadership in the state for over a decade by serving two terms as governor, as well as being elected to the Senate. Noem’s potential departure from Homeland Security would make her the first cabinet secretary to exit the Trump administration since the start of his second term. Her tenure at DHS has been marred by allegations of corruption and bitter infighting within the department.

Widespread reports paint a culture of fear among the rank-and-file in Homeland Security as Noem and Lewandowski openly began firing and demoting officials not viewed as loyal to her for the past year. The department has splintered into two camps: those loyal to Noem and a bloc of career law enforcement officials aligned with Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, multiple DHS insiders have revealed. Homan’s decades-long career in immigration enforcement has earned him credibility among law enforcement officials frustrated with Noem and Lewandowski’s leadership.

As pressure grows for Noem to meet Trump’s deportation goals, approximately 80 percent of career leadership at ICE has been fired or demoted by Noem. After the death of Pretti, Trump sidelined Noem by placing Homan in charge of the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.