Rand Paul Refuses To Say Kristi Noem Shouldn't Be Fired: 'See What People Who Work For Her Say'

Republican Sen. Rand Paul refused to say Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shouldn't be fired in the aftermath of the shootings in Minneapolis.

Speaking on CBS News' 60 Minutes, Paul said he "saw no evidence" of Alex Pretti attacking law enforcement officers before being killed.

"I saw a man that was retreating. I mean, he went to the middle of the street. He didn't even obstruct traffic. He let a car go through. As the agents advanced on him, he retreated to the side of the street. A woman is violently pushed to the ground, and he turns to help her, and that's when he is grabbed from behind. I saw no evidence of him assaulting the police," he said.

“I saw a man that was retreating,” GOP Sen. Rand Paul says of the video he saw of Alex Pretti, shot and killed by federal immigration officers. He has scheduled a Congressional hearing on the matter. https://t.co/5s5y5uakoi pic.twitter.com/K47kA8yngS

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) February 2, 2026

Paul then refused to say Noem shouldn't be fired as a result of the fallout, saying he will have more information on the matter in a congressional hearing on February 12.

However, he issued a warning to those "who work for her" and will testify in the hearing. "If they're watching and they come to testify, is if you come in and you're going to justify that this man was-- aggressively assaulting your police officers. That cannot be acceptable, and that's why they're lacking in trust," he said.

Democrats have been calling for Noem's impeachment, with leadership becoming involved in an effort to do so. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the party won't rush despite widespread support. "We don't want a show vote. We want a successful vote," Jeffries told press last week.

Over 80% of the caucus is co-sponsoring articles of impeachment against Noem introduced by Rep. Robin Kelly. However, Axios noted that Kelly is coordinating closely with Jeffries and won't force a vote without the latter's blessing.

The articles in question, introduced by Rep. Robin Kelly, accuse Noem of three counts: Obstruction of Congress, Violation of public trust and Self-dealing.

The first one involves cases when lawmakers were prevented from entering DHS facilities and withheld congressionally appropriated disaster relief funding. The second is in regards ICE's denial of due process and violation of First and Fourth amendments to detainees. And the third involves reports that Noem awarded $220 million in contracts to a firm run by the husband of her top spokesperson.

In the Upper House, Democrats in the Homeland Security Committee called Noem to testify before the panel "without delay" regarding "actions by federal officials under your control that resulted in the deaths" of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

The body said in a letter that Noem has "presided over an increasingly dangerous and untenable breakdown in trust in federal law enforcement across the country," and her "your actions in the wake of these tragedies have weakened the Department's credibility, enflamed tensions, harmed public safety, and divided Americans."

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