GOP Senator Knew Kristi Noem ‘Was Dead as Fried Chicken’ After Call From Trump

Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) revealed that President Donald Trump called him up “mad as a mama wasp” after his televised showdown with Kristi Noem and discussed a “few names” of who’d replace her, shortly before the president decided to fire her.

Noem appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday when Kennedy scolded her over a $220 million advertising campaign designed to encourage undocumented migrants to self-deport, which featured her on horseback.

Throughout the grilling, Noem insisted that Trump personally approved the spending on the ads, to Kennedy’s skepticism. The senator also questioned how the contract landed with a firm run by her ex-spokesperson’s spouse.

Trump fired Noem on Thursday, nominating Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) as her replacement. In an interview Friday with NBC News, the president denied that the ads were a “last straw” in his decision and praised Noem’s work.

Speaking to Fox News host Will Cain on Friday, however, Kennedy painted a different picture as he recounted how hours after the hearing, Trump called him directly.

He was mad as a mama wasp. He said, “Kennedy, I hope you understand that I had nothing to do with this.” I said, “I do believe you, Mr. President.” He was not happy. 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.

We talked about a few names that he might consider. Then what happened happened. It’s not personal.

Regarding his exchange with Noem during the hearing, Kennedy told Cain: “I did my job as a senator.”

He continued: “She spent a quarter of a billion dollars putting ads out across America – quarter of a billion dollars – in which she was prominently displayed, they looked a lot like political ads and I found that breathtaking.”

“When I see what I perceive to be spending porn I don’t care who does it, I’m going to call it out. I’m pretty cheap when it comes to taxpayer money. I squeak when I walk,” he added.

Watch above via Fox News.

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