Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, where she engaged in a tense back-and-forth with host Dana Bash over Trump administration policies, including the potential use of Guantanamo Bay for illegal immigrants and the future of FEMA.

Noem, along with other members of Trump’s cabinet and administration, has been making the rounds on mainstream networks, where she has consistently pushed back against attempts to corner her on the administration’s policy decisions. Sunday’s exchange with Bash was no exception.

Bash questioned Noem about the administration’s legal authority to send illegal immigrants to Guantanamo Bay, a move that has sparked debate.

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BASH: “Undocumented immigrants, detained in the United States … have a right to legal counsel and due process, but one of the questions is about whether or not Guantanamo — if whether or not you actually have the law on your side to use Guantanamo for this purpose… We also know that when someone is trying to get into the United States illegally is interdicted at sea, they’ve been brought to Guantanamo. I don’t believe that people who are already on U.S. soil have been brought to Guantanamo.”

Noem responded by pointing out that Guantanamo Bay has previously been used to house migrants, but Bash interrupted her before she could finish.

NOEM: “Guantanamo Bay has been used for migrants in the past when they’ve been coming to the United States—”

BASH (interrupting): “Are you comfortable that it is legal to bring people who are already on U.S. soil to Guantanamo?”

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Noem stood by the administration’s position.

NOEM: “I am. And the president’s comfortable with that … as his legal scholars are. And obviously, there will be people who are critics of that, but we are standing up the operations, believing we have all legal authority to do so. And that facility has been used for migrants in the past. The directions that they’re flowing, and the agreements we have with their home countries, will continue to keep that population changing.”

Bash continued to press Noem, but the secretary maintained her stance, reinforcing that Trump’s team believes they have the legal authority to pursue this policy.

Amid questions over the legality of moving migrants to Guantanamo, @Sec_Noem tells @DanaBashCNN, “The president is comfortable with that… Obviously, there will be people that will be critics of that. But we are standing up the operations believing we have all legal right and… pic.twitter.com/HXWbe3aGtb

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 9, 2025

Later in the interview, Bash brought up comments from Trump about possibly eliminating FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), asking Noem how she would respond if Trump proposed the idea.

BASH: “If the president came to you and said, ‘You’re my DHS secretary, do you think I should get rid of FEMA? … What would you say?”

Noem answered directly, arguing for a redesign of the agency to make disaster relief efforts more effective.

NOEM: “I would say, yes, get rid of FEMA the way it exists today. We still need the resources and the funds and the finances to go to people that have these types of disasters, like Hurricane Helene and the fires in California, but you need to let the local officials make the decisions on how that is deployed, so it can be deployed much quicker.”

.@DanaBashCNN: “If the president came to you and said, ‘You’re my DHS secretary, do you think I should get rid of FEMA?’… What would you say?”@Sec_Noem: “I would say, yes, get rid of FEMA the way it exists today.” pic.twitter.com/VAfBzXXIOP

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 9, 2025

The CNN interview was another instance of Trump administration officials facing tough questioning from legacy media outlets while defending the administration’s policies.

Noem joins a growing list of officials—including Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Pam Bondi (Attorney General), Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (HHS Secretary), and Marco Rubio (Secretary of State)—who have taken on mainstream media hosts and pushed back on attempts to discredit Trump’s policies.

As speculation about Trump’s second term continues to build, the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, disaster response, and government efficiency is expected to remain a focal point in the months ahead.

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