210
11 days ago
Kristi Noem Won't Admit Renee Good, Alex Pretti Were Not ‘Domestic Terrorists’
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“You told a lie about them!” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) fumed at the Homeland Security secretary about the American citizens killed by her agents.
Senior Politics Reporter, HuffPost
WASHINGTON ― Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday repeatedly refused to admit she was wrong when she cast two Minneapolis residents killed by federal immigration enforcement agents, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as “domestic terrorists.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, unleashed on Noem as she testified before the panel. He pressed her on why she publicly and falsely smeared Good and Pretti in the aftermath of their fatal shootings. Both were American citizens and, as video footage shows, neither appeared to be doing anything illegal when federal agents killed them. Other federal officials have since acknowledged there was no evidence either was engaged in any kind of domestic terrorism.
“I want to give you a chance before the entire country to correct your false and defamatory claim,” Raskin told the secretary. “Based on what you know today, Madam Secretary, were Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists?”
Noem said their killings were “an absolute tragedy,” but ignored the question.
“Were they domestic terrorists, as you said to the country?” Raskin asked again.
“I send condolences to their families, because I know that their lives will never be the same after that happened,” she replied.
The Maryland congressman, becoming increasingly angry, repeated his question four more times: Were Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists? Each time, Noem changed the subject, either by referencing vague “ongoing investigations” or by claiming federal agents “put their lives on the line” to protect evidence at the scene of Pretti’s killing as they faced “violent rioters.”
That’s also not true. HuffPost was on the scene after Pretti was killed on Jan. 25, and spent hours reporting there. There were no violent rioters; instead, hundreds of residents came out to be together, furious and devastated by ICE killing another one of their neighbors. In sub-zero temperatures, they stood there peacefully as federal agents, irritated by their chants, hosed them with tear gas and rubber bullets, and set off flash bangs.
“You told a lie about them!” Raskin charged, in reference to Pretti and Good. “You said that they were domestic terrorists. Do you regret that?”
“I offer my condolences to those families,” Noem replied.
Raskin pressed the Homeland Security secretary on why she couldn’t just admit she was wrong, noting that her acting ICE director, Todd Lyons, recently testified to Congress he had no knowledge that Pretti or Good were domestic terrorists.
“Why won’t you admit it?” he asked.
“As we learn more,” Noem began.
“You don’t want to say anything to their families?” Raskin interjected.
“I did,” she said. “I said condolences–.”
“For what!” said the congressman. “How about an apology for what you said about their loved ones?”
“My heart is with them,” Noem replied.
Noem also faced a brutal and bipartisan grilling on Tuesday during a similar Senate oversight hearing. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) laid into her for her “failure of leadership,” and Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) scolded her for spending $220 million in taxpayer money on DHS ads that “prominently” feature her.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) demanded to know why Noem hasn’t responded to his letters raising concerns about her deporting people who haven’t committed crimes. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) raised more questions about her $220 million ad campaign, citing a bombshell report about a firm she has ties to receiving $143 million of that pot of money. DHS previously said it had “no involvement” in the selection of subcontractors.
“It was incorporated eight days ― eight days ― before this contract went out,” Neguse said of the firm that got that money, noting it has no headquarters or website, and has never done work for the federal government before. “You want the American people to believe that this is all above board?”
“Yes I do,” Noem replied.
The Colorado Democrat brought up Tillis’ angry tirade from the day before about DHS blocking an independent inspector general from 11 different investigations it is trying to conduct. Neguse wondered aloud if the mysterious firm that got $143 million in taxpayer money is the focus of one of those probes.
“I don’t know if this happens to be one of them. I certainly hope that it is,” he told Noem. “Because eventually the facts will become public.”
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“You told a lie about them!” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) fumed at the Homeland Security secretary about the American citizens killed by her agents.
Senior Politics Reporter, HuffPost
WASHINGTON ― Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday repeatedly refused to admit she was wrong when she cast two Minneapolis residents killed by federal immigration enforcement agents, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as “domestic terrorists.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, unleashed on Noem as she testified before the panel. He pressed her on why she publicly and falsely smeared Good and Pretti in the aftermath of their fatal shootings. Both were American citizens and, as video footage shows, neither appeared to be doing anything illegal when federal agents killed them. Other federal officials have since acknowledged there was no evidence either was engaged in any kind of domestic terrorism.
“I want to give you a chance before the entire country to correct your false and defamatory claim,” Raskin told the secretary. “Based on what you know today, Madam Secretary, were Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists?”
Noem said their killings were “an absolute tragedy,” but ignored the question.
“Were they domestic terrorists, as you said to the country?” Raskin asked again.
“I send condolences to their families, because I know that their lives will never be the same after that happened,” she replied.
The Maryland congressman, becoming increasingly angry, repeated his question four more times: Were Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists? Each time, Noem changed the subject, either by referencing vague “ongoing investigations” or by claiming federal agents “put their lives on the line” to protect evidence at the scene of Pretti’s killing as they faced “violent rioters.”
That’s also not true. HuffPost was on the scene after Pretti was killed on Jan. 25, and spent hours reporting there. There were no violent rioters; instead, hundreds of residents came out to be together, furious and devastated by ICE killing another one of their neighbors. In sub-zero temperatures, they stood there peacefully as federal agents, irritated by their chants, hosed them with tear gas and rubber bullets, and set off flash bangs.
“You told a lie about them!” Raskin charged, in reference to Pretti and Good. “You said that they were domestic terrorists. Do you regret that?”
“I offer my condolences to those families,” Noem replied.
Raskin pressed the Homeland Security secretary on why she couldn’t just admit she was wrong, noting that her acting ICE director, Todd Lyons, recently testified to Congress he had no knowledge that Pretti or Good were domestic terrorists.
“Why won’t you admit it?” he asked.
“As we learn more,” Noem began.
“You don’t want to say anything to their families?” Raskin interjected.
“I did,” she said. “I said condolences–.”
“For what!” said the congressman. “How about an apology for what you said about their loved ones?”
“My heart is with them,” Noem replied.
Noem also faced a brutal and bipartisan grilling on Tuesday during a similar Senate oversight hearing. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) laid into her for her “failure of leadership,” and Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) scolded her for spending $220 million in taxpayer money on DHS ads that “prominently” feature her.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) demanded to know why Noem hasn’t responded to his letters raising concerns about her deporting people who haven’t committed crimes. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) raised more questions about her $220 million ad campaign, citing a bombshell report about a firm she has ties to receiving $143 million of that pot of money. DHS previously said it had “no involvement” in the selection of subcontractors.
“It was incorporated eight days ― eight days ― before this contract went out,” Neguse said of the firm that got that money, noting it has no headquarters or website, and has never done work for the federal government before. “You want the American people to believe that this is all above board?”
“Yes I do,” Noem replied.
The Colorado Democrat brought up Tillis’ angry tirade from the day before about DHS blocking an independent inspector general from 11 different investigations it is trying to conduct. Neguse wondered aloud if the mysterious firm that got $143 million in taxpayer money is the focus of one of those probes.
“I don’t know if this happens to be one of them. I certainly hope that it is,” he told Noem. “Because eventually the facts will become public.”
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AI Description
The article discusses a political controversy involving Rep. Kristi Noem and the characterization of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. It highlights tensions between government officials and the implications of labeling American citizens as 'domestic terrorists.'