Kristi Noem refuses to apologize for accusing Good, Pretti of domestic terrorism

While testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem again refused to apologize for accusing Renee Good and Alex Pretti of participating in “domestic terrorism” immediately after they were shot dead by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

The committee’s ranking member, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., asked Noem more than six times why she branded Good and Pretti as domestic terrorists and if she stood by her statements. Noem called the killings “an absolute tragedy” and offered condolences to the victims’ families, as she did while testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. However, she repeatedly refused to walk back her rhetoric, pointing to the ongoing investigations into their killings.

But as both Raskin and Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., pointed out during Wednesday’s hearing, Noem accused both Good and Pretti of perpetrating an “act of domestic terrorism” within hours of their killings.

“You didn’t wait for the investigation, did you?” Raskin asked in a fiery exchange. “You didn’t wait for the evidence.”

Good, a mother of three children and a poet, and Pretti, an ICU nurse, were both 37-year-old U.S. citizens killed in separate shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. Their deaths, both captured on video, have led to increased national scrutiny into Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents and the often brutal enforcement tactics they employ against civilians.

Noem’s testimony on Wednesday came after her Tuesday appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, during which she faced tough questioning from members of her party, including Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who called the Department of Homeland Security “a disaster” under her leadership and doubled down on calling for her resignation.

Noem was also questioned about her labeling of Good and Pretti at the Senate hearing on Tuesday. She called their deaths “tragic situations,” but she dodged requests to apologize to their parents for her initial descriptions of the victims, saying she was basing her comments on “reports from the ground from agents at the scene.”

Noem’s testimony comes as DHS remains technically shut down since Feb. 14, as Democrats and Republicans spar over funding the department.

Lawmakers largely stuck to party lines during questioning Wednesday, with Republicans using much of their time to praise the Trump administration over its immigration crackdown and honor Americans who were victimized by undocumented immigrants rather than critique Noem. Family members of some of those victims, known as “angel families,” were present at both of Noem’s committee hearings this week, and she interacted with them during the breaks.

House Democrats gave Noem a tougher time, reiterating questions their Senate colleagues raised on Tuesday about the DHS purchase of a $70 million luxury jet that came complete with a bedroom, and a $220 million television ad campaign that prominently features Noem and was produced by a firm she has close ties to. Noem countered that the jet is being “refurbished” to be used for deportation flights and for use by other Cabinet officials, and that she was not involved in picking the firm that produced the TV ad.

Lawmakers also asked about the role of special government employee Corey Lewandowski, both in the department and in Noem’s personal life, in light of ongoing rumors that the pair — who are both married to other people — are in a romantic relationship.

Noem balked at multiple direct lines of questioning about the rumors, which she described as “garbage” and “offensive.”

“At any point in your tenure at DHS, have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?” asked Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif.

“I’m surprised we’re peddling tabloid garbage in this hearing,” Noem responded.

Noem’s husband, Bryon Noem, was present at both hearings, sitting behind her and in view of cameras, though he departed Wednesday before the Lewandowski questions were raised.