CNN data analyst Harry Enten revealed that Americans don’t just dislike DHS Secretary Kristi Noem—they want her head.
On Thursday’s CNN News Central, Enten said the Trump administration’s handling of immigration was becoming increasingly unpopular with voters following the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration agents.
Enten said voters believe Noem is to blame and want President Donald Trump to hold her accountable.
“Take a look here... 58 percent of Americans want her removed!” exclaimed Enten. “We‘re not just talking about the fact that her disapproval rating is through the roof. We‘re now talking about nearly 3 in 5 Americans who believe that Kristi Noem should be removed from her job as DHS secretary.”
Enten revealed that at the beginning of January, 52 percent of Americans disapproved of Noem as DHS Secretary. After a month of brutal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota—during which time, federal agents killed Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti—most Americans now want her fired.
“No wonder Tom Homan is in [Minnesota],” said Enten. “And that is because Kristi Noem is a big reason why this has turned into such a deepening political problem for the president.
The Trump administration has pushed Noem out of Minnesota and out of the spotlight after she received heavy blowback for the unpopular Minnesota operations.
Trump installed border czar Tom Homan in Minnesota to try to quell the public backlash. Homan and Noem have internally clashed over immigration enforcement methods. Homan has pushed for a targeted, “worst of the worst” approach to deportations, while Noem favors broader raids that juice deportation numbers.
Noem notably did not speak during a late-January Cabinet meeting, though other members of Trump’s Cabinet had opportunities to flatter the president. Earlier this week, she appeared in Arizona to praise Trump’s border wall while Homan gave updates on Minnesota.
“The bottom line is this: Kristi Noem has turned into an absolute political albatross,” Enten said.
He revealed that Noem wasn’t the only issue for Trump on immigration during Thursday’s segment.
The data guru struggled to find the right words to describe how much immigration enforcement has become a negative issue for Trump.
Regarding ICE, Enten revealed that the agency’s approval rating has plummeted to -29 nationally, and -40 among independent voters.
He also revealed that Trump’s approval rating on immigration, once one of his strongest issues, dropped from -10 in December 2025 to a term-worst -21. Among independents, he’s polling at -34.
“No wonder the president of the United States is changing his tone,” said Enten. “The American people aren‘t just not with him. They are on a totally other planet.”
