John Kennedy says he knew Kristi Noem was 'dead as fried chicken' after Trump's angry call

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) said President Donald Trump called him angrily after he publicly confronted Kristi Noem during a tense Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Kennedy later said Trump insisted during the call that he had nothing to do with approving the ads and sounded extremely angry about the situation. Just two days later, the Republican leader removed Noem from the role and nominated Markwayne Mullin as her replacement.

John Kennedy says Trump made it clear that Kristi Noem's time at DHS was limited

Speaking to Fox News host Will Cain on Friday, March 6, John Kennedy described how Donald Trump called him directly just hours after the hearing.

"I was stunned when Noem answered categorically that the president approved every single bit of it. Later that day, I got a call from President Trump," the senator recalled.   

Kennedy said Trump sounded “mad as a mama wasp” and told him, “Kennedy, I hope you understand that I had nothing to do with this.” Kennedy replied, “I do believe you, Mr. President.”

The Louisiana politician said the call made it clear that Noem would not remain in her position much longer.

"He was not happy. It was clear to me after that conversation that the secretary’s time at the department was limited. To be blunt, she was dead as fried chicken. We talked about a few names that he might consider," Kennedy said, adding, "Then what happened happened. It’s not personal."

Reflecting on his heated exchange with Noem during the hearing, he told Cain, "I did my job as a senator."

Kennedy criticized Noem’s $220 million advertising campaign, saying she spent "a quarter of a billion dollars" on ads across the country that prominently featured her and looked like political promotions. He said the spending shocked him.

Trump says he was not 'thrilled' with $220 million advertising campaign

Donald Trump said on Thursday that he was unhappy with the $220 million advertising campaign featuring Kristi Noem. The president's comments came shortly after he announced that Noem would be replaced, ending her time leading the department as criticism over the campaign grew.

Speaking to NBC News, Trump said he did not like the spending. “I wasn’t thrilled with it. I spent less money than that to become president,” he said. Trump also rejected Noem’s earlier claim that he had approved the campaign, saying he did not know about it.

The controversial ads showed Noem riding a horse while urging undocumented immigrants to leave the US on their own. The campaign quickly drew criticism in Washington.

During the tense Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator Kennedy questioned the campaign and suggested it mainly helped promote Noem’s public profile. He also warned that the spending put Trump in a difficult position and raised concerns about using taxpayer money for what looked like personal promotion.

After leaving DHS, Noem will take on a new role as a special envoy for “The Shield of Americas,” which Trump described as a new security initiative focused on threats in the Western Hemisphere. The administration is expected to officially announce the program on Saturday.