JB Pritzker blasts Kristi Noem after DHS ouster: ‘Don’t let the door hit you’

WASHINGTON, DC: After President Donald Trump fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker took to social media to celebrate her removal. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he would replace Noem, whose leadership of the agency faced contentious congressional hearings this week, with Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin.

JB Pritzker slams Kristi Noem’s record after her removal

Pritzker mocked Noem after she was removed from her position. In a post on X, he shared a video and wrote, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” He also criticized her record, saying, "Here is your legacy: Corruption and chaos. Parents and children tear-gassed. Moms and nurses, US citizens, getting shot in the face."

The video ends with a warning: "Now that you're gone, don't think you just get to walk away. I guarantee you, you will still be held accountable."

Pritzker also posted a parody image on his BlueSky account resembling a LinkedIn profile for Noem. The image labeled her as “DHS Secretary (Former) | Public Speaker | Unlicensed Dog Euthanizer” and displayed the “#OpenToWork” banner on her profile picture.

The two politicians have had a tense relationship since the start of Trump’s term. In May last year, Pritzker accused Noem of “performing for Fox News” over her handling of immigration operations and her criticism of sanctuary cities and states such as Chicago and Illinois.

Illinois officials react to Kristi Noem’s removal as DHS secretary

US Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) also responded to Noem’s removal, saying she led an unpopular and dangerous mass deportation campaign. 

Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, spent much of this week questioning Noem about immigration enforcement. He challenged claims from her department that some US citizens who were shot by federal immigration agents were “domestic terrorists.”

He also accused Noem of lying under oath during testimony about her department’s actions, including during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. Durbin said, "Secretary Noem also denied that DHS has detained US citizens. Americans around the country, including in my home state of Illinois, know this is false. One of my constituents, US citizen Dayanne Figeroa, was detained for hours after federal agents rammed her car and forced her to the ground. During 'Operation Midway Blitz,' my staff documented the arrest and detention of at least 40 US citizens in my state of Illinois alone."

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also criticized Noem’s leadership, saying, "In Kristi Noem's time fleecing the American people with her derelict leadership at DHS, Chicago has withstood targeted attacks by DHS and the federal agents under its purview who have incited chaos in our communities with their violence and callous disregard for our residents' most basic human rights."

Johnson said Noem used fear instead of cooperation with local leaders and law enforcement and added that her leadership would be remembered for corruption and policies that harmed vulnerable families. He concluded, saying she “will not be missed in Chicago.” 

US Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) also released a statement, saying, "Kristi Noem should've been fired a long, long time ago. Next, the Trump Administration needs to work with Democrats to enact the common-sense DHS reforms that the American people are crying out for. Helping prevent more Americans from being executed by their own government is the very least they can do."