Rep Jeffries threatens impeachment, says Noem should be ‘put on ice permanently’
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DY) said Thursday that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem should be “permanently suspended” as he threatened impeachment proceedings against the cabinet official during a news conference.
Jeffries made the remarks while answering questions about whether Democrats would move forward with impeachment if Noem is not fired and whether he has talked to Republicans about supporting such an effort.
A Trump administration source harshly condemned Jeffries’ language and warned it would spark outrage if it came from a Republican leader.
“Imagine the Republican majority leader making similar remarks about Joe Biden when he was president?” the source told Fox News Digital. “The liberal media moves to accuse him of inciting an assassination.
“Now we hear crickets from the same people who greedily read every word of conservative officials.”
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Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-Y., stepped up the rhetoric against Kristi Noem during a press conference Thursday, arguing that the DHS Secretary should be “permanently put on ice.” (Getty Images)
The source added that Jeffries’ comments were particularly dangerous given the current political climate.
“What Jeffries said is dangerous and incredibly stupid given the culture of political violence that the left promotes and carries out against conservative leaders. He should know better, he knows better,” they said.
During the press conference, Jeffries said he reiterated his impeachment threat in a recent conversation with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)
“In my meeting with Speaker Johnson, I reiterated that we plan to proceed with impeachment proceedings if Kristi Noem is not fired,” Jeffries said. “Kristi Noem is an absolute disgrace. She’s an absolute disgrace.”
Jeffries accused Noem of “presiding over” deaths that he linked to immigration enforcement actions.
“And most of all, he presided over the cold-blooded murders of American citizens like Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti,” Jeffries said. “Unacceptable.”
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Democrats have threatened to pursue impeachment proceedings if DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is not fired by the Trump administration, despite her continued support from the president. (Luke Johnson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Jeffries also criticized Senate Republicans who voted to confirm Noem, saying she was “wildly unqualified” for the role.
“It should never have been approved,” he said. “Shame on every Republican in the Senate who put this deeply unqualified individual in a prominent position (Department of Homeland Security) to unleash brutality against ordinary Americans, American citizens, and law-abiding immigrant families. It’s an absolute disgrace.”
Jeffries concluded his remarks by repeating his call for Noem’s impeachment, using language that immediately caught attention.
“He needs to go. We are dead serious,” Jeffries said. “He needs to be put on ice permanently. He needs to go.”
“He needs to be put on ice. That’s obvious, right? That means he’s gone. GONE. From his position. Don’t misinterpret anything I said,” Jeffries said in a statement shared by Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie late Friday.
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When asked when he last spoke to Johnson, Jeffries said, “Yesterday.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Jeffries’ office for comment.
