The CNN host defended the network’s “accuracy” against Kristi Noem’s claims.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins brutally shut down Kristi Noem after the Department of Homeland Security secretary questioned her network’s ethics.
Noem appeared on The Source with Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday to discuss the shooting of three detainees at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas. One was killed and two are in critical condition after the incident on Wednesday morning.
While no ICE officers were injured in the attack, President Trump was quick to praise the work of the “Brave Men and Women of ICE” and labeled the incident part of the “Left Wing Domestic Terrorism that is terrorizing our Country.”
Trump posted on Truth Social, “This violence is the result of the Radical Left Democrats constantly demonizing Law Enforcement, calling for ICE to be demolished, and comparing ICE Officers to “Nazis.”
Throughout the CNN interview on Wednesday evening, Collins pressed Noem to address the MAGA talking point of left violence. At the end of the exchange, Noem then turned on Collins and CNN.
“I wish that our media and I wish reporters like you, Kaitlan, would talk about the victims every day that we interact with that we send you the stories on, that you refuse to tell,” Noem claimed.
She mentioned learning of the case of a 22-year-old man from Northern Virginia charged with murder after strangling his 8-month-old sister, who died on Tuesday morning.
“Then the next news that I got was that the media had reported that a father had his child taken away from him,” Noem said. “When in all reality, this poor little autistic girl was abandoned by her father.” DHS claimed the main “abandoned his 5-year-old daughter in the car” as he attempted to flee ICE at the time. “Officers helped rescue the child and called local police to report the abandonment.”
“But CNN didn’t report that, right? Secretary Noem?,” Collins pointed out.
“But you know what, Kaitlan?,” Noem replied. “Just if you guys would just tell the truth about what these criminals are and what they’ve done in their history.”
“We tell the truth,” Collins hit back.
Noem insisted her office “sends out about 5 or 6 different press releases every day” to correct stories in the media.
“I’ll send you the copies of the ones that you’ve gotten wrong that we’ve been able to correct,” Noem said.
“Secretary Noem as you know, if we get something wrong, we correct it,” Collins added bluntly before correcting, “But also what you just referenced there is not something that CNN reported, and obviously we strive for accuracy every night.”
During the interview, Collins noted Noem was being “very cautious” with her words as the FBI investigations carry on into the Dallas shooting. She asked the Homeland Secretary if Trump and Vance had more information about the crime provided to them from her department that would explain their “radical left terrorists” comments.
Vice President JD Vance also linked the shooting to left rhetoric on Wednesday, claiming it was “not a both sides problem.”
“If your political rhetoric, encourages violence against our law enforcement, you can go straight to hell and you have no place in the political conversation of the United States of America,” Vance said in North Carolina.
After skirting a direct answer, Collins asked again twice, before Noem said “I can’t speak to what the president and vice president were briefed on, but people don’t write ‘Anti ICE’ on ammunition and then fire into a building that supports the work that our law enforcement are doing. They just don’t do that.”
“The president and vice president certainly understand the challenges that we have in this country with people who support criminal and terrorist activity,” Noem said.
Noem was unable to confirm who had been killed in the Dallas shooting and admitted she had not yet been in touch with the family of the victim or those who are in critical condition.
“That hasn’t been given to me as information yet because the FBI is leading this investigation,” the Homeland Secretary said. “But I have been involved from within five minutes after the shooting occurred.”
Noem called out Democrats Gavin Newsom, Tim Walz and Jasmin Crockett directly.
“We should have all of them stand up and say enough is enough,” she said. “American citizens deserve safety, and we’re not going to stand behind any criminals and support them over our law enforcement officers.”
In an earlier interview on Fox News, Noem said her department’s response to the Dallas shooting would be to immediately hire more ICE agents and law enforcement officers.
“We have to do all that we can to make sure this never happens again,” Noem said on Wednesday on The Ingraham Angle.
