The two Republican senators who President Donald Trump considered “losers” for saying that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem needed to step down have hit back at the president.
“I’m kind of excited to be called a ‘loser,'” said Senator Thom Tillis The Independentt. “Apparently that qualifies me to be DHS secretary AND senior adviser to the president.”
Tillis of North Carolina and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska had both called on Noem to resign following the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, by Customs and Border Protection officials. Noem and other officials immediately labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist.” Noem claimed that he brandished a handgun before he was shot, but a video showed that this did not happen.
In response, calls for her job increased on both sides of the political aisle and in the public.
On Wednesday, the president blasted the two senators in an interview with ABC News.
“Well, they’re both losers,” he said. “You know, what can I tell you? They are terrible senators. One is gone and the other should be gone.”
Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) speaks to reporters about the shooting death of Alex Pretti by federal agents. He said he took Trump’s ‘loser’ label as a badge of honor (Getty Images)
Tillis announced last year that he would not seek re-election after opposing Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” Tillis has repeatedly criticized White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller for his talk of taking Greenland by military force.
Trump told ABC News that “Tillis decided to leave. So you know, he lost his voice once he did that.”
But Tillis said he didn’t care.
“I never really wanted a voice here, I try to stay out of the way of people trying to rush to the cameras,” he said The Independent. Tillis also laughed at the idea of being called a “loser.”
Murkowski responded in a similar manner.
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Tillis in saying that Kristi Noem needed to resign as Homeland Security secretary. (Getty Images)
“You know, he obviously does not agree with my assessment of the work that Secretary Noem is doing, and at the end of the day it is his call as to who keeps in this position,” she said The Independent.
Murkowski said The Independent that year lo[ra kienet ivvutat biex tikkonferma lil Noem i]this is probably not a tag[milxhekkillum
“Hija s-sejħa tiegħu dwar min iżomm f’din il-pożizzjoni, kemm jekk hu s-Segretarju Noem jew xi ħadd ieħor, nifhem dan, u hu jiddeċiedi,” qalet. “Naħseb li jistħoqqlu aħjar.”
Trump u Murkowski kellhom relazzjoni kontenzjuża. Murkowski ivvota kontra t-tentattiv tiegħu li jirrevoka l-Att dwar il-Kura Affordabbli u ivvota biex jikkundannah għall-azzjonijiet tiegħu fis-6 ta’ Jannar.
Fit-tieni mandat ta’ Trump, hija vvutat kontra l-konferma tas-Segretarju tad-Difiża Pete Hegseth u d-Direttur tal-FBI Kash Patel. Murkowski ivvota wkoll għall-Abbozz ta’ Liġi One Big, Beautiful li ta lill-Immigrazzjoni u l-Infurzar tad-Dwana $75 biljun.
Wara l-qtil ta’ Pretti, Murkowski sejjaħ għal investigazzjoni sħiħa, flimkien ma’ numru żgħir ta’ Repubblikani oħra.
Iżda anke l-Kap tal-Maġġoranza tas-Senat John Thune ikkritika li jsejjaħ lil Pretti bħala terrorista domestiku.
“Kellem ċittadin f’dan il-pajjiż maqtul, imma, taf, ibbażat fuq l-evidenza li rajt s’issa, dik ma tkunx karatterizzazzjoni li kont nuża,” qal. L-Indipendenti.