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On Thursday, President Donald Trump fired Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem via a Truth Social post. Her tenure was marked by a photoshoot in a superprison in El Salvador, brutal immigration raids, and the killing of two U.S. citizens killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. It didn’t help that she spent $200 million dollars on an ad campaign featuring – wait for it – Kristi Noem. To make sense of Noem’s exit and the ongoing war in Iran, we hear from Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner, vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

And in headlines, the U.S. House rubber stamps Trump’s war with Iran, negative public comments flood a hearing about the White House ballroom rebuild, and two dozen states sue the Trump administration over its latest tariffs.

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TRANSCRIPT

Jane Coaston: It’s Friday, March 6th, I’m Jane Coaston, and this is What a Day, the show that says good luck to Lindsay Halligan, the former U.S. Attorney who spent her brief tenure trying to charge President Donald Trump’s enemies with crimes. She’s now under investigation by Florida’s Bar Association. Good news, that could mean she’ll get disbarred. Bad news, this is Florida, so maybe they’ll give her a medal or something. [music break] On today’s show, the House rubber stamps Trump’s war with Iran by voting down a war powers resolution and the public delays the president’s expensive east wing ballroom plans with a flood of negative comments. Preservationists rejoice. But let’s start with Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, or should I say ex Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Kristi Noem. President Trump fired Noem on Thursday via Truth Social post. Well, technically he fired her and gave her a new job, quote, “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” a role that according to the New York Times did not exist before Thursday. Noem is the first of Trump’s Cabinet of Terribles to lose her job this term. So what did it? I mean, there are so many options. Was it the photo shoot she did in a super prison in El Salvador last year? Lying about a wrongly deported man so often a district court judge told her to stop? Putting the weight of the Department of Homeland Security behind showy immigration raids designed to get clicks on social media? How about smearing two U.S. citizens shot to death by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, saying they had ties to domestic terrorism? Nope. Reportedly, it was probably related to a series of DHS ads starring Kristi Noem, like this one. 

[clip of Kristi Noem] Anyone who searches for freedom can always find a home here. But that freedom’s a precious thing, and we defend it vigorously. You cross the border illegally, we’ll find you. Break our laws, we’ll punish you. Harm American citizens, there will be consequences. But if you come here the right way, your American dream can be as big as these endless skies. From President Trump and me, welcome home. 

Jane Coaston: That ad campaign cost taxpayers more than $200 million. But according to Kristi Noem, Donald Trump said it was A-OK. Here she is testifying under oath during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, responding to Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy. 

[clip of Senator John Kennedy] I’m asking you, sorry to interrupt, but the president approved ahead of time, you spending $220 million running TV ads across the country in which you are featured prominently. The President–

[clip of Kristi Noem] Yes, sir. We went through the legal processes. Did it correctly, worked with OMB. 

[clip of Senator John Kennedy] Did the President know you were going to do this? 

[clip of Kristi Noem] Yes. 

Jane Coaston: But when Reuters asked Trump about the ads, he said, quote, “I never knew anything about it.” Or as Senator Kennedy told reporters on Thursday, quote, “I want to put it this way. His recollection and her recollection are different.” So, Noem is out, and in her place, Trump wants Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, most noted recently for being very unclear as to whether or not we’re at war with Iran. Oh yeah, right. We’re still at war with Iran. So to talk more about Kristi Noem’s exit and the war in Iran, I spoke with Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner. Senator Warner, welcome to What a Day. 

Mark Warner: Yeah, it’s been quite a day. It’s been a quite a week. 

Jane Coaston: It has been indeed. On Thursday, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he is replacing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Republican Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin. You’ve often criticized Noem’s leadership. You’ve called on her to resign. What’s your take on this? 

Mark Warner: What the hell took him so long? I’ve worked some with Markwayne Mullin. I don’t know him really well. You know, I’ll give him a fair look. But boy, oh boy, you talk about Kristi Noem being way beyond her skill level and being such an awful face for a department that had kind of run amok. I’m glad she’s gone. I can give them a few more like Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard and others that maybe would make it a better end of the week if he acted on them as well. 

Jane Coaston: In your view, Senator, what do you think did it? Because it wasn’t the deaths of two American citizens in Minneapolis. It wasn’t any of the number of failures she’s had over the last year. What do you think it was? 

Mark Warner: Well, I think what it was was that the fact that I’d seen some of these ads, these ridiculous spending of 200, I think it was $200 million of federal money to promote Kristi Noem. You know, her in all of these crazy outfits and flashing lights. And one thing about Donald Trump, we all know that he doesn’t like anybody else on the stage and whether he knew that campaign was out there or not. The notion that, oh, yes. She had Donald Trump’s full approval for, um, her publicity campaign paid for by federal dollars, obviously was not the case.

Jane Coaston: Trump also said that Mullin will just take over the role, quote, “effective March 31st.” But cabinet members have to be confirmed by the Senate. What has the president communicated to you or your colleagues about plans to appoint Mullin? 

Mark Warner: You know I’m not on the Homeland Security Committee, so I don’t know if there’s been any formal process, but you know you just can’t stick somebody in as a cabinet official without getting congressional approval. My fear though is that Trump may feel like to heck with congress entirely since as we saw again I think it was just yesterday, my republican colleagues didn’t even have the courage to stand up and say hey we’re going to protect congressional’s prerogative to take our nation into war that it can’t just be the president starting a war of choice and what I fear is that you know Trump is so used to getting his way, he’s not even paying lip service now to the law and constitution. 

Jane Coaston: You and I are joined on that Senator. You’re one of the few lawmakers who received brief advance notice about last weekend’s strike on Iran and you’ve received at least one additional briefing since then. I mean you’ve already said it but from your understanding are we at war with Iran? 

Mark Warner: We are at war, we are at war of choice. There was no imminent threat to America from the Iranians. And we have had four different explanations given by Trump about why he chose to take us to war, where we’ve already had six soldiers killed. He said, first of all, it was about Iran’s nuclear capabilities, which earlier he had claimed we had obliterated last year in a strike. Then he was talking about ballistic missiles, which over time would pose some threat to America and to Israel, but there was no imminent threat in terms of at volume. They then came out with this um answer the other day of like saying, oh my gosh, it’s about the Iranian Navy. I’d never heard that one, but that was given in a briefing. And then it was about regime change. And here’s my my problem. If Trump had chosen to try to take an action like this in January, when millions of Iranians were on the street protesting against the brutal regime, and I have no love law or no tears will be shed for the Iranian leadership being eliminated. At least it would have made some connection. But the idea that he, frankly, couldn’t at that point because the aircraft carrier he needed was off the coast of Venezuela on another military venture of his and our European allies were properly focused on his threats to take over Greenland. But then now to choose to do this war now, what I worry about, if he’s saying, all right, Iranians, come to the streets, take back your government. What happens if 100,000 protesters show up on the streets of Tehran, and then the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, who were brutal, kill 5,000, 10,000 20,000? Does America have an obligation then to put troops on the ground? This is what happens when you have a president and a team that doesn’t think this through.

Jane Coaston: As you’ve just said, there have been so many mixed messages from the Trump administration and from the GOP as to what this is all about. We’ve heard simultaneously that this isn’t about regime change, but Trump told Axios Thursday that he has to be, quote, “involved in the appointment of Iran’s new leader.” So, in your view, what is this about? 

Mark Warner: I think this is about Donald Trump choosing to go to war and in many ways doing it on Israel’s timetable and I’m a supporter of Israel. But when you’re talking about putting American troops in harm’s way, you got to show that there was imminent threat to America. There was not. And we’ve known one thing over the last 25 years, it’s a hell of a lot easier to get into a war in the Middle East than it is to get out of a war and I’m not sure what his ongoing plans are. And if again, this is a relatively small example, but important. If you’re gonna choose to go to war on your own timeline, why in the heck didn’t you tell all of the Americans in the region, get out? Why didn’t you say to Americans don’t fly into the region? The number of Virginians I’ve had contact me that weren’t even going to the Middle East, but they were flying through Doha or through Dubai. And when the bombs started, you know, they got caught in those countries. We could have been prepared for that. And what’s embarrassing is other nations have done a better job of getting their citizens out of the region than we have. Now, finally, that’s starting to turn around a little bit. More flights are going in. I think most of the Virginians we’ve been in contact with at least got a plan on how to get out now. But why put them all through that stress when again, this was his war of choice. 

Jane Coaston: War is not just terrifying, it’s expensive. A report from the Center for American Progress this week estimated that military action in Iran has already cost more than $5 billion. If you were asked, would you vote to send emergency funding to the military? 

Mark Warner: I’d wanna know how much they’re asking for, what it’s gonna be used for. And I sure as heck would wanna know so I come into this with a lot of questions. I don’t wanna leave our troops in harm’s way, but I, you know, governing’s about choices. If President Trump is choosing this war against Iran, yet he chose not to help millions of Americans maintain their healthcare, and he’s got millions more who are gonna be cut when the Medicaid cuts come [?]. When President Trump says, I’m gonna choose to go to war, anyone in their right mind would know that is going to drive up gasoline prices. Prices are already up 20 cents a gallon and they will go higher. When you make a choice like this as well, it sends shockwaves through the stock market, the one thing that he always looks to. You know what is President Trump doing about affordability? Nothing, and if anything, by making this choice to go to war. He’s driving prices up even for further for Americans.

Jane Coaston: This week, the House and the Senate voted down war powers resolutions that could have required congressional approval for any further U.S. military action in Iran. What else can Congress do to rein in the president when it comes to Iran? 

Mark Warner: We can take back the House and the Senate in the fall. Short of that, and you know I have been criticized many times, probably rightfully, for being too bipartisan. But I have lost so much faith in my Republican friends that they’re going to do anything in a meaningful way to stand up to this president. One or two here or there. But when push comes to shove, they all fall in line. I’m not sure there is a Republican party anymore, but there is simply a party of Trump acolytes, and that’s not good for our country. 

Jane Coaston: Senator Warner, thank you so much for taking the time to join me. 

Mark Warner: Thank you so much. 

Jane Coaston: That was my conversation with Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner. We’ve got more news on the way. But if you like the show, please do us a favor and subscribe, leave a five star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, check us out on YouTube and share your favorite episodes with your friends. It helps us reach more listeners who are focused on the important things like protecting our democracy from people who want to dismantle it. We’ll be back with more news for you after some ads. [music break]

[AD BREAK]

Jane Coaston: Here’s what else we’re following today. 

[sung] Headlines. 

[clip of unknown speaker] On this vote, the yeas are 212, the nays are 219, the concurrent resolution is not adopted. 

Jane Coaston: A.K.A. on Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted down a War Powers Resolution to halt President Trump’s attacks on Iran, closing any immediate chance for Congress to rein in the war. The Senate voted down a similar resolution Wednesday. House Speaker Mike Johnson touted the resolution’s failure to reporters after the vote. 

[clip of House Speaker Mike Johnson] We are not at war, we have no intention of being at war. The President and the Department of Defense have made this very clear. The Department of War has made it very clear this is a limited operation. Its uh operation is limited in its scope and duration. 

Jane Coaston: Okay, can he tell the Trump administration, which keeps calling this a war? US officials say the US and Israel have hit more than 2,000 targets in Iran. They killed Iran’s supreme leader. And the head of the Department of War bragged about sinking an Iranian ship 2,000 miles away from Iran, combined with Iran’s retaliatory strikes. If that’s not a war, what is? Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie said in a tweet after the resolution failed, quote, “We’re being told this military action could last months. That’s the exact circumstance in which the founders intended for Congress to authorize war. But sadly, we’ve now abdicated that responsibility.” Again, abditated that responsibility, again. Two dozen states are suing the Trump administration over its latest tariff gambit. In a lawsuit filed Thursday at the U.S. Court of International Trade, the states argue that President Trump did not have the authority to impose 10% global tariffs that went into effect last month. The suit also targets increases Trump has threatened to add on top of those. Trump announced these particular tariffs literally hours after the Supreme Court struck down a different set he issued last year. The administration based the newer tariffs on a legally untested section of a 1974 trade law. The states say the tariffs are supposed to apply evenly, but Trump’s played favorites by exempting some industries. They also say Congress wrote the law to apply these tariffs during a currency crisis that doesn’t exist today. Fingers crossed that the courts deliver a repeat and once again strike down Trump’s tariffs. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is calling on Texas Republican Representative Tony Gonzales to end his reelection campaign. Johnson and other GOP House leaders asked Gonzales to withdraw after he admitted to having an affair with his staffer, who later died by suicide. In a podcast interview about the affair, Gonzales said, quote, “I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing.” But he also used that interview to take digs at the staffer’s husband and the couple’s personal life because he’s a piece of shit. Earlier this week. Gonzales was forced into a runoff in the primary for his house seat. On Thursday, CNN reporter Manu Raju asked Mike Johnson why he has avoided calling for Gonzales’s resignation. 

[clip of House Speaker Mike Johnson] Leadership put out a statement, it speaks for itself. We’ve encouraged him to drop out of the race for re-election. I think that is the, you know, politically, that’s a death penalty, okay? 

Jane Coaston: But the actual answer probably has a lot to do with the GOP’s thin majority in the house. Another day, another profile in courage from Mike Johnson. President Trump’s $400 million ballroom vanity project will have to wait a little longer for approval. That’s despite the fact that the East Wing site is already demolished. The National Capital Planning Commission was scheduled to vote on a rebuild Thursday, but instead announced they’ll wait until April. The chairman of the commission said he wants to give members of the public more time to voice their opinions, and they certainly have some already. The commission received roughly 32,000 public comments so far. The New York Times analyzed them and found that a whopping 98% are negative. Which checks out, considering that Trump’s decision to demolish the East Wing was poorly planned and historically problematic. No surprise that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is unphased, though. In a statement, she told the Times, quote, “These nasty comments are clearly stemming from an organized campaign of Trump deranged liberals who clearly have no style or taste.” Because that’s what we’ve come to know Trump for, taste. And that’s the news. [music break] That’s all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, contemplate how Kristi Noem may soon face a perjury investigation, and tell your friends to listen. And if you’re into reading, and not just about how, remember when I said Noem was testifying under oath when she said that Trump totally approved her little $200 million ad campaign? Well, Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal is pushing to investigate her for lying to Congress, like me, What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at Crooked.com/subscribe. I’m Jane Coaston, and look, there are so many ways I’d like to see Kristi Noem face actual repercussions, but being hung out to dry for an ad campaign starring herself would be pretty funny. [music break] What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It’s recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producer is Emily Fohr. Our producer is Caitlin Plummer. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Sean Allee, and Ethan Obermann. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison, and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adriene Hill. Our theme music is by Kyle Murdock and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East. [music break]