In a striking departure from his usual lengthy and praise-filled gatherings, President Donald Trump conducted an unusually brief first cabinet meeting of 2026 on Thursday, pointedly bypassing one of his most prominent yet currently embattled secretaries.
A Departure from Protocol
The session, held in Washington D.C., lasted roughly 90 minutes—a stark contrast to the multi-hour marathons that have characterised Trump's cabinet meetings since his return to power over a year ago. Traditionally, these events involve each department leader offering fulsome praise of the President and detailing their administration's achievements, often extending to two or three hours with extensive question-and-answer sessions with the press.
This time, however, Trump dispensed with the customary practice of allowing cabinet officers to speak in turn around the large Nixon-era table. Instead, he called upon a series of hand-picked advisers after delivering prepared remarks filled with his characteristic—and frequently inaccurate—boasts about the U.S. economy. His announcements included the re-opening of Venezuelan airspace and a request for Russia's Vladimir Putin to pause bombing Kyiv for a week due to severe cold weather.
The Deliberate Omission
Conspicuously absent from the list of speakers was Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who remained silent at the far end of the table to Trump's left. The President did not acknowledge her presence throughout the meeting, nor did he take any questions from reporters before ending the session abruptly. As Trump concluded, claiming the truncated format was "amazing" and "much better than going around for three hours," his aides began loudly instructing journalists to leave the room.
The speaking roster included Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump began with his roving peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, and concluded by asking Vice President JD Vance for closing remarks, to which Vance quipped he was only attending "for the free coffee."
Mounting Pressure Over Border Incident
The pointed snub comes as Secretary Noem faces intense bipartisan scrutiny following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents last Saturday. Video evidence contradicts initial statements from Noem and Border Patrol official Greg Bovino, who falsely claimed Pretti had brandished a weapon or approached officers with intent to harm them.
In reality, Pretti—who held a permit for his holstered pistol—was attempting to assist a woman shoved by a CBP agent when he was wrestled to the ground. Within five seconds of an officer removing the firearm from his waist, agents fired shots into his back. Noem incorrectly stated the shooting resulted from "a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and kill law enforcement," and falsely accused Pretti of reacting violently during disarmament attempts.
Political Fallout and Deflections
Noem has since defended her inaccurate statements by attributing them to talking points provided by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the principal architect of Trump's mass deportation campaign. Miller, in turn, has shifted blame to Border Patrol personnel, claiming in a statement that he received the false information from them.
The handling of this incident has provoked calls from both Democrats and multiple Republicans on Capitol Hill for Noem's resignation or dismissal. Democrats have even threatened impeachment proceedings should she remain in post long enough for them to potentially gain congressional control after November's midterm elections.
Despite the growing controversy, Trump publicly expressed confidence in Noem this week, telling reporters he would not request her resignation because she is "doing a very good job." However, the President has a well-documented history of abandoning advisers and associates even after publicly vouching for them, particularly when pressure mounts from within his own party.
Thursday's cabinet meeting, with its uncharacteristic brevity and deliberate exclusion of the embattled Homeland Security chief, underscores the escalating political tensions surrounding Noem's position and the administration's response to the border shooting scandal.
