Trump Hastily Wraps Cabinet Meeting Without Taking Questions — And Without Calling On Embattled Kristi Noem

President Donald Trump wrapped up a cabinet meeting on Thursday without taking questions and without giving Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a chance to speak.

Trump hastily wrapped up a cabinet meeting on Thursday afternoon, saying he liked his more streamlined approach better than giving everyone in the room a chance to speak. Noem was present at the meeting, but not sitting close to the president, who was discussing strikes on alleged drug boats out of Venezuela when he offered a couple shout outs and wrapped things up.

Trump told Attorney General Pam Bondi she’s doing a “great” job and asked Vice President JD Vance if he’d like the opportunity to speak.

“It’s okay, sir, I’m just here for the free coffee,” Vance joked. “And to say it’s an honor to serve with this group and we’re doing a lot of good for the American people.”

Trump then ended the meeting without taking questions from reporters.

Some on social media noted Noem not speaking at the meeting, all the stranger considering the backlash she’s received from both sides of the political aisle over her messaging on federal authorities shooting and killing 37-year-old Minneapolis man Alex Pretti.

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins also reported after the meeting it was “notable” Noem did not speak.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a cabinet meeting covering the president, where he did not take questions from reporters. He called on a handful of cabinet secretaries, but one that he notably did not call on was Kristi Noem,” she said.

Pretti was shot and killed on Saturday by federal immigration agents. Noem and other administration officials were quick to defend agents involved in the shooting, suggesting Pretti meant the agents harm. Noem claimed Pretti was going to “kill law enforcement” and had brandished a gun. Footage from the scene however does not show Pretty brandishing a weapon. Second Amendment activists have red flagged officials pointing to Pretti being armed, arguing the fact alone is not enough to constitute a life or death threat.

According to an Axios report citing people familiar with the situtation, there has been internal conflict in the White House about early statements on the Pretti shooting. Noem reportedly told one person that “everything” she’d done had been at the direction of the president and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Miller referred to Pretti as an “assassin” shortly after the shooting.

“Everything I’ve done, I’ve done at the direction of the president and Stephen,” Noem reportedly said.

Watch above via Fox News.

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