DHS official confirms dept will defy Kristi Noem if they ‘don’t agree with’ her priorities: OMG

Brandon Wright, Platform Services Manager for DHS, was recorded saying that the agency’s career bureaucrats do not allow political appointees to interfere with their operations. He told the undercover reporter, "Kristi Noem? I f*cking hate her."

“The secretaries can set the priorities for the department, but they can't actually tell us what to do,” Wright told an undercover OMG journalist, later adding, "The truth is, we don't let them [secretaries] get in our way.” He said, "If we don’t agree with those priorities, there is a lot of room for interpretation, in terms of how we interpret what those priorities are."

He compared the government's bureaucratic structure to a septic tank, saying that there are layers that allow employees to filter directives in a way that minimizes their impact. “There’s a lot of layers like that in the government. And by the time the actual marching orders get to, like, me and below, we can filter it in a way that steadies the ship,” he said.

“She doesn’t know her a**,” he remarked, adding, “The Department of Homeland Security could fall on her f*cking head, and she wouldn’t recognize what it is. Kristi Noem doesn't know sh*t” He also expressed frustration over her leadership style, saying, “To say that I am not excited about this would be the most epic understatement.”

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said, "Secretary Noem has not seen the video in its entirety. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. This person has been placed on leave and is under investigation…The senior official says the termination of the official is imminent."

Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, was confirmed as DHS Secretary on Saturday in a 59-34 Senate vote. Before her confirmation, she vowed to shut down the CBP One App, which was then deactivated prior to her assuming office. Noem replaces Alejandro Mayorkas, who served as DHS Secretary under the Biden administration and faced widespread criticism for his handling of the southern border and failure to curb illegal immigration.

Following her confirmation, Noem posted on X: “My mission as Secretary of Homeland Security is to keep America safe. Under my leadership, DHS will protect the American people with integrity and honesty. President Trump is putting Americans' safety FIRST.”