SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO/AP) — Former South Dakota governor and current Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was critical Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” of California Gov. Gavin Newsom as she defended President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles.
“The president knows that he makes bad decisions, and that’s why the president chose the safety of this community over waiting for Governor Newsom to get some sanity,” Noem said Sunday. “And that’s one of the reasons why these National Guard soldiers are being federalized, so they can use their special skillset to keep peace.”
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Protesters in southern California have faced off against law enforcement in clashes which have not remained peaceful. At the heart of the protests is the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency that’s now overseen by Noem. Newsom has strongly criticized Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard, and the state he leads has decided to sue the Trump administration. For Noem, her support of the deployment in 2025 is a stark departure from comments she made in 2024 during the administration of Joe Biden, Trump predecessor in the Oval Office.
“I was alarmed recently to hear Democrats encouraging Biden to federalize the National Guard under title 10 in order to take them away from the control of governors and take away my ability to be their commander in chief of the National Guard,” Noem said Feb. 23, 2024 when she was still governor of South Dakota.
Trump baselessly claimed on social media Sunday that protesters are now banned from wearing masks. This, along with the widespread use of face coverings on the other side, also came up during Noem’s interview Sunday with CBS’ Margaret Brennan.
“People have questioned why they have their faces covered,” Noem said. “It’s for the safety of those individuals or the work that they’re doing as far as protecting their identity so they can continue to do investigative work, so.”
“But are you tasking the National Guard soldiers with removing masks from protesters?” Brennan said in response. “I mean, are you trying to use them in that way?”
“National Guard soldiers are there to provide security for operations and to make sure that we have peaceful protests,” Noem said in response. “So, that’s what their work is, and I won’t get more specific on that.”
On the possibility of arresting Newsom, Trump said “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great.” Tom Homan is Trump’s border czar.
