Senate Republican Thom Tillis blasts Kristi Noem and wants her ousted from her job, but it's only because of this bizarre reason
Noem’s statements about Pretti and her handling of the incident prompted Tillis to call for her removal.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYThe page has an attributed author and references reporting by The Hill, but it provides limited information about its reporting and leans heavily on another outlet’s account and a social-media video. The site’s affiliate disclosure is transparent but does not establish editorial or correction standards.
- Source type — Trade-press classification provides a modest baseline, but this article concerns general political news rather than a clearly specialized report.
- Transparency — An affiliate disclosure is present; the article gives little detail about its own reporting process.
- Editorial standards — No corrections practice or editorial standards are evident in the article.
- Author attribution — A named author is credited.
The article includes direct quotations, attributes some information to The Hill and describes what it says video footage shows. It provides little response or additional sourcing from Noem or other officials, and uses strongly evaluative wording.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article relies primarily on Tillis’s criticism and its account of video footage, while providing no response from Noem or substantial competing perspective. Its own descriptions also use loaded language.
- Counterarguments presented — No response from Noem or a competing account from the department is included.
- Loaded language — The article characterizes Noem’s remarks as rash and her actions as amateurish or incompetent.
- Source diversity — The article draws on Tillis’s statements, a cited report and footage, but offers little range of named sources.
The article’s language is sharply critical of Noem and presents Tillis’s criticism sympathetically. It gives little space to an alternative account of Noem’s statements or handling of the incident.
- Language tone — Terms such as “jumped to conclusions,” “rash statement” and “wildly different story” convey a critical view of Noem.
- Framing — The story frames Tillis’s criticism as a response to Noem’s incompetence and harmful judgment.
- Source selection — Tillis’s critical statements and footage are emphasized, with no substantive response from Noem.
Sen. Thom Tillis called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired, criticizing her statements about Alex Pretti after he was killed by a Border Patrol agent. Tillis also faulted Stephen Miller and Gregory Bovino over their handling of the incident.
Tillis publicly said Noem’s handling of Pretti’s death should disqualify her from her job. He criticized her for calling Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and for claiming he had been armed and intended to harm law enforcement. The article says video showed Pretti holding a cellphone before officers took him to the ground and shot him.
Tillis also said Noem and Stephen Miller had characterized Pretti as a terrorist before an incident report was available, and argued Noem’s conduct was damaging the administration’s immigration message. He said he had raised his concerns with President Trump. Tillis also criticized Gregory Bovino, who the article says had been removed from his post.
Community verdict
12 VOTESCounts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 6
- Readers of left-leaning coverage: 10% good look
- Readers of right-leaning coverage: not enough votes yet
Votes cast on this page
Votes cast on this page: ▲ 0 · ◆ 0 · ▼ 0
People in this story
SWIPE →Homeland Security Secretary criticized for her statements after Alex Pretti’s death
President discussed in relation to the administration’s immigration message and Tillis’s concerns
Part of a bigger story
5 OUTLETSAfter Alex Pretti was killed in Minneapolis, Kristi Noem faced calls to leave office over her response, including from Republican senators. Left-leaning outlets tie the calls to scrutiny of Noem’s initial account and emphasize President Trump’s attacks on Republican critics. Center outlets focus on lawmakers’ demands and criticism of Noem’s statements, while also reporting Trump’s response to those demands.
- ARTICLES
- 6
- OUTLETS
- 5
- AVG CRED
- 63
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