(FOX40.COM) \u2014 On Thursday, political officials in Northern California shared their reactions to a major announcement from the Trump administration. The president removed U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from her role.<\/p>\n
This comes on the heels of a heated congressional hearing. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers questioned Noem regarding a series of steps she\u2019s taken during her year serving in her position.<\/p>\n
While some have described this move as a step in the right direction and a step toward \u201caccountability,\u201d others explained why they believe a dismissal like this is not unusual nor a victory for any party.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s not fired. She\u2019s being reassigned,\u201d Tab Berg, President of Tab Communications, a Republican consulting firm, said. \u201cAdministrations face changes all the time. If they\u2019re not achieving the mission, if they\u2019re not meeting the goals and they\u2019re not meeting the expectations of the president, they serve at the will of the president, so I don\u2019t think this is anything to be looked at in a super negative way.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the other side of the coin, Josh Harder, a Democratic lawmaker serving California\u2019s 9th District, also weighed in on Noem\u2019s ousting.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe clearly got fired,\u201d Harder said. \u201cThe Trump administration had to make up a new position to give to her and I think the only reason they even did that is because she was \u2014 they were \u2014 afraid of what she would say if she wasn\u2019t collecting a taxpayer paycheck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noem has since been appointed \u201cspecial envoy\u201d for a new security initiative under the Trump administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is long overdue accountability,\u201d Harder said. \u201cUnder Noem, our neighbors have been unlawfully detained, demonstrators have been brutally attacked, and even killed and the rights of American citizens have been trampled underfoot by a Department of Homeland Security that isn\u2019t securing anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noem, serving in the role for around a year, has faced growing controversy across party lines. Her removal came shortly after a fiery congressional hearing during which lawmakers grilled the former governor of South Dakota over a series of topics including her behavior in the aftermath of two separate incidents in Minnesota where federal officers fatally shot two civilians.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat ICE has been doing, not just in Minneapolis, but even across the Central Valley in Stockton and San Joaquin County, is outrageous and folks are scared,\u201d Harder said. \u201cBut we\u2019re not going to let that fear divide us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noem\u2019s expenditure on a $220 million ad campaign also raised red flags among many political leaders.<\/p>\n
Berg said he believes Noem\u2019s removal was somewhat inevitable. He cited her \u201cstruggling\u201d relationship with the president.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we should ever have any no-bid contracts in government, ever,\u201d Berg said. \u201cIt should always go out to a competitive bid and I think Trump, being a business person, also probably had some problems with that. But I think the bigger part of his concern was that she sort of threw him under the bus, saying that he approved it when indeed he hadn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Berg said he is on board with Trump\u2019s decision to replace Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s clearly an effective manager and he knows how to run an operation just based on his business experience,\u201d Mullin said. \u201cI think that\u2019s going to serve him extraordinarily well. He\u2019s clear and direct and he\u2019s a take-no-guff person. I mean he doesn\u2019t try to be clever. He\u2019s very straightforward and forthright. I think he\u2019ll be a fantastic secretary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Josh Harder reiterated that he thinks change needs to extend beyond titles. He said the U.S. needs policy change, not just personnel change.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as folks are doing warrantless operations, as long as they don\u2019t have use of force guidelines, it doesn\u2019t matter who\u2019s in charge,\u201d Harder said. \u201cHopefully, this is a sign the administration is seeing that they need to, to take a fork in the road.\u201d<\/p>\n
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