Noem grilled by GOP Senators as dog killing story returns during heated DHS hearing

Interior Secretary Kristi Noem faced harsh criticism from Republican senators during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, including criticism about her leadership during the Trump administration’s deportation wave, with one GOP senator comparing past animal killings to decisions she made as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Outgoing Senators Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, and Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Los Angeles, engaged in heated exchanges with Noem on Tuesday during… Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversight hearing. With legislators.

Tillis likened Noem’s decisions as a farmer and dog owner to what he described as Noem’s disastrous leadership amid Trump’s border campaign. Meanwhile, Kennedy feuded with Noem over her decision to label Renee Judd and Alex Peretti as domestic terrorists in the early days after their killings, as well as her subsequent reasons for doing so.

“These are bad decisions made in the heat of the moment. No different than what happened in Minneapolis,” Tillis said, comparing Noem’s time as an animal owner to her leadership as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is sworn in before she testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) (AP Photo/Manuel Bals Sinita)

Noem came under fire in the spring of 2024 when she described in a report based on an advanced version of her memoir, “No Going Back,” an incident in which she killed her family dog, Cricket, along with a separate incident in which she killed a goat. Noem explained that the dog proved “untrainable” after several violent attacks, and described the decision to ultimately shoot the dog.

“I hated that dog,” Noem recalled, according to The Guardian and other media reports that covered the previously released version of Noem’s book at the time. “[Cricket was] “Dangerous to anyone she comes into contact with.”

Noem continued, “It was not a pleasant task, but it had to be done. After it was over, I realized that another unpleasant job had to be done.” Noem then went on to describe goat slaughter, which Noem described as “bad and mean,” adding that it smelled “disgusting, musky, rancid” and complaining that she “likes to chase” her children.

The reporting of Noem’s memoir led a group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill to start a caucus of dog lovers, and the excerpt of Noem’s memoir led to criticism against her from animal rights groups and other critics.

“You decided to kill that dog because you weren’t going to invest in the proper time and training, and then you have the audacity to read a book and say it’s a leadership lesson about hard choices. It’s in your book. We can play it if we have the time,” Tillis said amid heated testimony about Noem’s leadership, which also included criticism about her approach to things. Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA).

He continued: “And you killed a goat because you said it was behaving badly. You’re a farmer. You can’t castrate a goat. They’re behaving badly. Maybe you should have done it before, but my point is these are bad decisions made in the heat of the moment. It’s no different than what happened in Minneapolis.”

Kristi Noem participates in the September 2023 South Dakota Buffalo Report (Fox News Digital)

In addition to being hounded by Tillis, Noem also got into a heated exchange with Republican Senator Kennedy, who expressed concern about who she was taking direction from during her time running the Department of Homeland Security.

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“At the time you said [what Renne Good and Alex Pretti engaged in] “They were acts of domestic terrorism,” Kennedy explained with Noem, who stressed that this was the final assessment of what the duo’s actions “appeared to be.” Noem tried to interject, saying the assessment came at a time when there was a lot of information circulating about the Trump administration’s deportation efforts in Minneapolis, but Kennedy stood firm and continued his questioning.

“As I said earlier in this hearing—” Noem tried to say before Kennedy interrupted her. “Did you say that? I think it was widely reported. Did you say that?”

Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, pauses while speaking to members of the media on Capitol Hill. (Andrew Harrier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Noem continued to try to explain the reasons for the domestic terrorism designation, until Kennedy intervened. “I think it’s safe to say you got some pushback on that,” Kennedy said, adding that he didn’t want to pass judgment on the fairness of the order, but just wanted to point that out. “Yes,” Noem agreed before Kennedy got to the root of his question.

“What caught my attention is that you took the blame for these statements Mr. Stephen Miller In the White House, right?”

Noem strongly denied the accusation, arguing that the allegation came from an anonymous source that could not be trusted. “Where you see it in a news article of anonymous sources and anonymous sources says a lot of things, but I never said that,” Noem said. But Kennedy responded that she had “officially said” that “everything I did, I did at the direction of the President and Stephen.” Kennedy then provided the exact date Noem made the remark.

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“Do you think it’s fair to blame Mr. Miller for your words?” Kennedy asked.

Noem declined the question again, continuing to challenge the legitimacy of the claim that she made such statements, adding that she “did not” blame Miller for her decision to label Judd and Peretti domestic terrorists.

“You are reading from an anonymously sourced newspaper article.”

“Do you deny that you said that?” Kennedy asked.

Noem said again: “Sir, I will not talk about this situation reported by anonymous sources.”

White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller has offered to appear on CNN to discuss any topic. (Kevin Deitch/Getty Images)

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The report in question is a January article from Axios, which wrote that “the episode illustrates the confusion that has gripped the administration following the killing of Minnesota protester Alex Peretti on Saturday. It shows the influence of Miller, Trump’s closest and longest-serving political adviser whose control in the White House goes far beyond his title.”

“They’re quoting you officially saying it’s Stephen’s fault,” Kennedy replied before the committee chairman said the senator’s time was up. “Thank you,” Kennedy said before the new senator took his time speaking.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on Noem’s tense exchanges during Tuesday’s hearing, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

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