# Impeach Noem, Bovino? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 28, 2026, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128 "2026-01-28T18:26:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/21 "2026-01-29T15:11:21Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Did I hear it right that they would remove ICE if Minnesota gave the feds all of their voting records? Yes, it was reported on CNN and other sources. Don’t know if this was Noem’s brainstorm or (much more likely) that it came from the Orange Tyrant. Bovino is basically just an employee. He could be demoted (as apparently he has been) or just fired. I assume his basic problem here wasn’t his outrageous statements about Pretti being a “terrorist” and an aggressive threat to the ICE officers, because that was the official line being parroted by Trump’s sycophants. Rather, he could be fingered as the guy in charge of tactical ICE operations in Minneapolis, making him a convenient scapegoat for an aggressive and lawless attitude among a bunch of untrained thugs that really came down from Trump. It’s the same way that the culture of both the first and current Trump administration emboldened CBP to act like belligerent assholes at border crossings, especially toward non-white people. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/22 "2026-01-29T15:32:04Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Did I hear it right that they would remove ICE if Minnesota gave the feds all of their voting records? Which is clearly extortion. It is an attempt to hold the city hostage in exchange for something that the administration is not legally entitled to have, so they use illegal means to force it out of them. It didn’t work because the city fought back, both its leaders and citizens. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/23 "2026-01-29T15:35:01Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Which is clearly extortion. Which Trump mistakes for an ‘Artful Deal’. It’s criminal, plain and simple. Extortion, same thing he tried to do to Zellensky, and was impeached for. We’ll put it on the list Donnie. But the spead sheet is getting huge. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/24 "2026-01-29T15:47:11Z")
Bondi sent the letter, the text of which can be found here. Scroll down the page some… > **[Pam Bondi Tells Tim Walz That Handing Over Minnesota's Voter Rolls Can Help...](https://people.com/pam-bondi-full-letter-tim-walz-after-alex-pretti-shooting-11892085)** > > U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote a three-point letter of demands to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after American ICU nurse Alex Pretti was fatally shot by Border Patrol on Jan. 24 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/25 "2026-01-29T15:50:45Z")
They can all share a single cell. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/26 "2026-01-29T15:56:22Z")
Not meaning to criticize you; just quoting this bit to set the context for my remarks below. > [@enipla](#): > > Did I hear it right that they would remove ICE if Minnesota gave the feds all of their voting records? Why would anyone believe that the current criminal regime would honor their side of the “bargain” (extortion really) after the records were turned over? The one thing you don’t do with terrorists is negotiate. And make no mistake, the current criminal regime are terrorists fully within the legal definition of US law. The people they’re victimizing aren’t “domestic terrorists”; the regime is. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/27 "2026-01-29T16:31:04Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Impeachment is a meaningless waste of time when there is no chance of a conviction. I disagree. Our system is a ridiculous hodgepodge of ideas that barely works and leads to folks like Trump attaining power, along with his terrible vicious goons. In an ideal system, there’d be separate mechanisms for symbolic acts designed to influence public opinion, distinct from the systems for removing a bad actor from power. But we don’t have that idea. We got the hodgepodge. In the system we have, impeachment can’t remove the bad actor directly. But it can erode support from the bad actor, delegitimize the bad actor in the eyes of the public. It can frighten the bad actors, so that they might hesitate before making bad decisions. And, next election cycle, maybe the bad actors are yeeted from public office. Impeachment for trivial reasons (cough blowjob cough) has the opposite effect. But impeachment for legitimate reasons can, at least temporarily, have some powerful positive effects. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/28 "2026-01-29T16:52:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Why would anyone believe that the current criminal regime would honor their side of the “bargain” (extortion really) after the records were turned over? Oh course they wouldn’t honor theire side of the bargain. And if people complained, they would send the military in. Walz knows this. Until we impeach, convict and imprison some of these crimminals, it’s not gonna end. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/29 "2026-01-29T19:18:22Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > > [@Loach](#): > > > > Impeachment is a meaningless waste of time when there is no chance of a conviction. > > I disagree. Our system is a ridiculous hodgepodge of ideas that barely works and leads to folks like Trump attaining power, along with his terrible vicious goons. In an ideal system, there’d be separate mechanisms for symbolic acts designed to influence public opinion, distinct from the systems for removing a bad actor from power. > > But we don’t have that idea. We got the hodgepodge. > > In the system we have, impeachment can’t remove the bad actor directly. But it can erode support from the bad actor, delegitimize the bad actor in the eyes of the public. It can frighten the bad actors, so that they might hesitate before making bad decisions. And, next election cycle, maybe the bad actors are yeeted from public office. > > Impeachment for trivial reasons (cough blowjob cough) has the opposite effect. But impeachment for legitimate reasons can, at least temporarily, have some powerful positive effects. I disagree with your disagreement. No conviction after and impeachment along party lines will be seen as a victory by 1/3, useless political theater by 1/3 and possibly important by 1/3. Ultimately useless. I thought that about both of Trump’s impeachments. The first one because the majority didn’t really understand what it was all about and the second one because it happened after he wasn’t president anymore. The bragging rights of “Your guy got impeached” are worth nothing. If it’s one of Trump’s appointees it will go one of two ways (assuming a D majority in the house). If it’s something so egregious that there is a danger of conviction and even some of his base doesn’t like what they did, Trump would have thrown them under the long before there is an impeachment. With an Air Force One standing by the bathroom soliloquy about how bad they are. Or it will die in the Senate and it will be another Trump victory. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/30 "2026-01-29T19:24:59Z")
There _does_ seem to be a stigma to anyone who has been impeached even if not convicted. I have seen it come up as a stain on Bill Clinton’s legacy, and Trump is often described now and then as “twice impeached”. I assume it matter to a degree to _someone_. Now, when that impeachment does nothing to stop the abuses that caused the impeachment in the first place, it’s a fair point to say it is meaningless. I think these days, Samuel Chase is remembered mostly because he was the only SCOTUS member to ever be impeached (he was also acquitted). I don’t know that there would be any harm in impeaching Noem if she survives the trial in the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/31 "2026-01-29T19:56:30Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I disagree with your disagreement. No conviction after and impeachment along party lines will be seen as a victory by 1/3, useless political theater by 1/3 and possibly important by 1/3. Ultimately useless. Agree completely. With a small addendum. The third who sees a failed impeachment as victory also sees it as further proof that the Ds who failed are nothing but treasonous traitors inventing garbage charges to try to gum up the righteous works of Dear Leader. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/32 "2026-01-30T04:34:56Z")
I think DOJ is trying to get voting records in all the States, via lawsuits, by extortion, or other ways. In Georgia, the FBI just seized hundreds of boxes of voting records in Fulton County. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/33 "2026-01-30T11:07:46Z")
It seems to me that they’re only extorting or gestapo-ing swing states or states that went Democratic concerning false claims from an election Trump lost six freaking years ago. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/34 "2026-01-30T13:02:26Z")
Ahh, that makes sense. Thats scary. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/35 "2026-01-30T14:14:00Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I assume it matter to a degree to _someone_. It matters to those who would hate him even if he was never impeached. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/36 "2026-03-05T18:55:19Z")
[Trump says Kristi Noem is stepping down as homeland security secretary](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-says-kristi-noem-stepping-homeland-security-secretary-rcna248719) looks like impeachment isn’t necessary. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/37 "2026-03-05T18:58:02Z")
Oh dear. She’s going to be in a bad mood. Hide the dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/38 "2026-03-05T19:37:55Z")
I talked back in January about how Republicans were fed up with Noem, it took a bit but I think this was inevitable. Stephen Miller is the next one I expect to be gone, but he might get away with hiding from the public and hoping people forget he’s skulking around. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/39 "2026-03-05T19:41:56Z")
My money is on Kash (pun intended) Patel. Trump wasn’t happy with his Milan antics and I don’t think he’s too popular with anyone in the inner circle. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128/40 "2026-03-05T19:44:43Z")
According to that article, Noem will become - and I swear to you I am not making this up - “Envoy for The Shield of the Americas.” 🤨 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-noem-bovino/1027128.md?page=3)