DHS Secretary Noem Fires 23 FEMA Employees, Demands Public Trump Praise, Announces IT Breach

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced an IT breach at FEMA, fired 23 employees, and demanded surviving staff publicly praise Trump as a condition of continued employment. The firings came after 36 FEMA employees were placed on administrative leave for signing a letter criticizing Trump appointees’ competence in disaster response. Noem’s demand for loyalty oaths and public Trump praise transforms a professional emergency management agency into a political patronage operation where job security depends on vocal support for the president rather than expertise in disaster preparedness. The simultaneous announcement of an IT security breach—without details about its scope, cause, or remediation—raises questions about whether the purge compromised institutional knowledge needed to maintain critical systems. FEMA’s mission is protecting Americans during disasters; politicizing the agency by firing experienced staff and requiring fealty oaths degrades its capacity to respond effectively when hurricanes, wildfires, and other emergencies strike. The loyalty demands exemplify authoritarian governance where institutional competence is subordinated to personal devotion.