Committee questioner presses officials over Secretary Noem's 'domestic terrorism' remark
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Summary
An unidentified member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs asked officials why Secretary Noem publicly described a man in video footage as having committed "an act of domestic terrorism," and urged the committee chair to invite her to testify; the record does not show an agency assessment that used that label.
An unidentified member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs pressed officials on why Secretary Noem publicly described a man shown in video footage as having committed "an act of domestic terrorism," saying the committee has not seen evidence that law enforcement labeled the incident that way.
The committee member quoted Secretary Noem: "Secretary Noem said he was committing, quote, an act of domestic terrorism, which you saw in the video," and asked whether that characterization reflected a formal assessment from law enforcement or from officials on the panel.
The questioner directed follow-up to commissioners and staff, asking, "did you provide Secretary Noem with an assessment of what Mr. Peddie was engaged in and that he was engaged in domestic terrorism?" When the record was checked for whether anyone in the chain of command provided that assessment, the exchange recorded the response, "Not to my knowledge, sir." The transcript does not attribute that denial to a specific named official.
The questioner pressed why Secretary Noem would make such a public statement "in the heat of the moment" if the chain of command had not provided an assessment supporting the label. The record includes officials saying they "can't speculate" on what the secretary thought at the time; the transcript offers no explanation from Secretary Noem herself.
The committee member said the American people "deserve to have the secretary" appear before the committee and urged the chairman to invite her, noting prior invitations had not been accepted. The exchange ended with the questioner reiterating the need for Secretary Noem to explain publicly how she reached conclusions that the questioner said appeared premature based on the available evidence.
The transcript excerpt does not record Secretary Noem's response, an agency assessment using the words "domestic terrorism," or a formal pledge from the committee chair to summon the secretary. The committee member's request for an appearance was made on the record during the questioning.