Melania Trump And Kristi Noem Are Closer Than Anyone Imagined

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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is, as of this writing, still a loyal member of President Donald Trump's cabinet, despite two American citizens being fatally shot by ICE agents in Minnesota, barely three weeks apart in January 2026, under her watch. Democrats subsequently called on Donald to fire the controversial staffer, even threatening to impeach her if the president doesn't oblige. He isn't known for obliging anyone, but the reason Noem hasn't been kicked to the curb despite the very bad optics apparently has little to do with the president and everything to do with his wife.

According to sources who spoke to the Daily Mail, Melania Trump and Noem are thick as thieves, and it would appear the former model stepped in as her husband pondered Noem's fate. A 2-hour long meeting that Donald conducted with Noem and several other top aides on January 26, 2026, had many wondering whether she was about to leave the Oval Office with her tail between her legs. Alas, her relationship with Melania saved the day. Noem has managed to build a close friendship with the first lady, and she thinks quite highly of the contentious DHS secretary.

Melania reportedly has plenty of sway with her husband, because aside from going easy on Noem in the Oval Office, the divisive politician also talked her up to reporters on January 27. "I think she's doing a very good job," Trump enthused, per the Wall Street Journal. "The border is totally secure."

Trump Secretary Kristi Noem has done plenty of controversial things, but Melania Trump may not be defending her latest screw-up purely because of their friendship. Melania's movie ticket sales are catastrophically bad, and with the eponymous documentary set to debut in theaters on January 30, 2026, there isn't much time to rectify the situation. The latest horrifying incident in Minnesota has effectively diverted all attention away from the first lady's upcoming project, and Noem getting fired would arguably invite even more public attention on the matter. It doesn't help that rumors are swirling that the "Melania" documentary's crew members don't even want their names in the credits.

Author Michael Wolff, best known for his tell-all tome "Fire and Fury," which chronicled President Donald Trump's first term, asserted on his "Inside Trump's Head" podcast that Melania can't possibly be happy with how this week has unfolded. "This was supposed to be the Melania week," Wolff noted. He added that everyone in the White House knows there will be hell to pay if they tick off the first lady, which means having her as an ally, like Noem apparently does, counts in your favor. As the bestselling author explained,"[Donald is] not moved by normal political considerations, but he is moved by a p****d-off wife." 

Wolff added, "What he does not want is a p****d-off and uncontrolled Melania." This could well be the reason Noem still has her job — the president listened to her. But he did make some adjustments. Noem is no longer running point in Minnesota; instead, Border Czar Tom Homan is taking the lead. It isn't a great look for her, but it's arguably not garnering nearly as much attention as firing the controversial DHS secretary would have.