Kristi Noem Doubles Down On Vow to Ensure the ‘Right People’ Vote for the ‘Right Leaders’ — Rips Media Critics ‘Clutching Pearls’

(AP Photo/Caitlin O’Hara)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem doubled down on her election integrity comments after setting off a firestorm for saying DHS will ensure the “right people” vote for the “right leaders”.

At a press conference in Arizona on Friday to promote a voter I.D. requirement, Noem said, “When it gets to election day, we’ve been proactive to make sure we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country.”

ABC’s Jonathan Karl calling the comments “extraordinary,” and many critics were incensed by the secretary’s remarks. Noem addressed Karl and CNN’s Jake Tapper by name for questioning her intentions.

In an X post Sunday, Noem shared an interview Tapper conducted with border czar Tom Homan on Sunday, and said, “It must be exhausting to regularly manufacture outrage even over the most commonsense statements.

“Yes, we must build election infrastructure that makes it easy and secure for eligible American citizens to vote—while preventing non-citizens, including illegal aliens, from casting ballots. The choice of who to vote for is obviously up to the voters themselves. So here’s the real question for @jaketapper @jonkarl and anyone else clutching pearls over this: Do you actually support allowing people who are in this country illegally to vote in our elections?”

In the interview, Homan did not defend Noem when Tapper asked, “So, what does she mean when she says electing the right leaders? That’s not really immigration enforcement or DHS responsibility.”

“I don’t know, that’d be a question for the secretary,” Homan answered. “If I had to guess, probably, that, you know, only those legally eligible to vote would vote, but I have not talked to the secretary about those statements. That’d be something she’d have to answer.”

Later in the interview, Homan acknowledged that he and Noem don’t always agree.

“But I’m not going to let the media divide this administration. Look, it’s one team, one fight. And, you know, do me and Secretary Noem agree on everything? No, we have discussions and we have difference in opinion. That’s what makes it a strong team. We bring different ideas to the table, then agree on a mission,” Homan said.

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