U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was asked on Face the Nation about the “leakers” Noem has said she has found within her department and who she vows to prosecute.
Host Margaret Brennan reminded Noem that in February she wrote on X: “The FBI is so corrupt, we’ll work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the full extent of the law.” Brennan then asked Noem: “Were you wrong then to blame the FBI?”
Noem replied: “No, I think there’s some leakers all over, throughout this government.”
Speaking of planned ICE raids, she said the two leakers she found in her department “were leaking our enforcement operations that we had planned and were going to conduct in several cities and expose law enforcement.”
Noem added: “They will be prosecuted, and they face up to 10 years in federal prison because they did that.”
Leakers are being held accountable and will be criminally prosecuted. We will continue using every law enforcement tool at our disposal to guarantee that we can make America SAFE without interference from lawbreakers and leakers. pic.twitter.com/AilzsJpnh1
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) March 9, 2025
Several MAGA supporters, growing impatient after repeatedly being promised a broad “deep state” purge during the Trump campaign, are voicing their frustration with Noem on X in response.
“When? When will we actually see someone fired or criminally charged? I keep hearing you say this and that’s about it,” writes one. Another asks: “When will we hear their names and see the charges?”
“Cease this stagnation, nothing is progressing, and it appears that no one is being held responsible,” demands another voice expressing discontent.
Yet another illustrates the creeping doubt that those campaign promises may go unfulfilled, writing: “We shall see if the justice department actually prosecutes them.”
Note: During the interview, Noem also confirmed that she will “absolutely” use polygraph tests on employees to try to expose leakers, despite doubts surrounding polygraph test efficacy.
According to the American Psychological Association, lie detector tests are often inaccurate, and “the idea that we can detect a person’s veracity by monitoring psychophysiological changes is more myth than reality.”
(NOTE: Congress passed the Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) in 1988, which bans most private employers from forcing workers to take lie detector tests.)
Federal government agencies including those involved in national security like DHS are generally exempt from the Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA). Lawyers including those at The Vaughn Law Firm warn federal employees: “The decision to agree to a lie detector test should be made carefully. It’s a good idea to speak to a lawyer so you can weigh the potential risks and benefits properly.”
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