Kristi Noem is currently in the spotlight because of both older controversies and a very recent crisis tied to her role as Secretary of Homeland Security under President Trump.

The latest: Minneapolis shooting fallout

  • As DHS secretary, Noem is under intense scrutiny after a federal operation in Minneapolis in which a man named Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents.
  • Immediately after the shooting, she publicly labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist” before evidence was presented, a move that critics say prejudged the case and inflamed tensions.
  • Her handling of the situation, including her initial public statements and the way DHS has operated in Minneapolis, is at the core of the current backlash.

Why people are calling for her to go

  • House Democratic leaders have said she should be fired and have openly threatened impeachment if she is not removed from her post.
  • Reports indicate that more than three-quarters of House Democrats favor pursuing impeachment against her over how DHS has been run and how the Minneapolis incident was handled.
  • At least two Republican senators, including Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis, have also publicly called on Noem to resign, saying she is not fit for the role and that DHS under her is “running amok” and lacks proper oversight.
  • Some lawmakers are tying her ouster to negotiations over DHS funding and a looming partial government shutdown, effectively making “Noem must go” a condition in those talks.

Trump’s position and internal tensions

  • President Trump has publicly defended Noem, saying she is doing a “very good job,” that the border is “totally secure,” and that he does not think she should step down.
  • Despite that public backing, reporting describes internal tensions between Noem and Trump’s border “czar,” Tom Homan, suggesting a strained working relationship predating the Minneapolis shooting.
  • DHS officials have tried to present a united front, saying Noem will continue to oversee the department while Homan focuses specifically on Minneapolis operations.

Longer-running controversies (context from forums and commentary)

Beyond the current crisis, Noem has been a lightning-rod figure for years, and that history is feeding today’s “what did she do?” conversations.

  • She drew widespread outrage in 2024 after publicly recounting shooting her 14‑month‑old puppy, Cricket, a story that became a viral example of perceived cruelty and poor judgment.
  • Online discussions and opinion pieces often frame her as a “cautionary tale” about political ambition and personal brand-building backfiring, with users citing the dog incident as a defining moment in how the public sees her.
  • Some forum threads also mock or attack her on more personal grounds (appearance, personality, etc.), which reflect online culture more than substantive policy issues; those reactions show how polarizing she has become as a public figure.

How forums and social media are talking about it

  • Political subreddits and social platforms are blending the old “she shot her dog” narrative with the new DHS/Minneapolis backlash, painting a picture of someone seen by critics as harsh, impulsive, or lacking empathy.
  • Commenters frequently use the dog story as shorthand—e.g., “don’t shoot your dog and brag about it”—when warning about her judgment in higher office.
  • At the same time, her official social accounts show her leaning heavily into a tough-on-security, tough-on-immigration image, including posts highlighting press conferences on supposed “domestic terror” threats.

Quick TL;DR

  • In the past , Kristi Noem faced huge backlash for killing her puppy and publicly bragging about it, which became a viral symbol of her perceived lack of empathy.
  • Right now , as Homeland Security secretary, she’s under fire over a deadly federal operation in Minneapolis, her quick move to brand the victim a domestic terrorist, and broader concerns about how DHS is being run.
  • Democrats are pushing impeachment and some Republicans are urging her to resign, while President Trump is still publicly defending her performance.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.