The Department of Homeland Security rejected an NBC News report claiming Secretary Kristi Noem has a strained relationship with Coast Guard officials.
NBC News, citing unnamed current and former officials, reported that tensions have emerged between Noem and senior Coast Guard leaders over her focus on immigration enforcement and the use of Coast Guard aircraft for deportation flights.
The outlet reported some officials were frustrated by what they described as shifting priorities within the service.
"The entire premise of your story is incorrect, and these attacks are nothing more than a politicized deep state effort to undermine President Trump's immigration enforcement agenda and distract from the historic successes that the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard have achieved since he returned to office," a DHS spokesperson told NBC in response to the report.
The NBC News report centered in part on a February 2025 search-and-rescue mission for a missing Coast Guardsman in the Pacific.
The outlet reported that Noem verbally instructed leaders to ensure a C-130 aircraft remained available for deportation flights tied to what it described as the administration's "alien expulsion operations."
DHS denied that the aircraft was diverted away from the search, stating, "the C-130 never left the search" and that there is no documentation showing it was pulled from the mission.
"The aircraft supported the search from February 4-8 out of El Salvador and then returned to San Diego on February 9, the day after the search was suspended," a DHS spokesperson said in an email to Newsmax.
"That anybody would try to politicize this mission and tragic loss of life just to smear a public official for political gain — especially while hiding behind the veil of anonymity — is shameful and grotesque."
NBC also highlighted a reported dispute involving Noem's senior adviser, Corey Lewandowski, and Coast Guard flight staff over personal items left on a government aircraft.
DHS did not directly address that allegation in NBC's report but rejected broader claims of misconduct and resource misuse.
The Wall Street Journal on Feb. 12 described internal tensions at DHS tied to Noem's push to implement President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda.
The Journal noted that Noem and Lewandowski have taken a high-profile approach to immigration enforcement, sometimes clashing with career officials over messaging, travel, and spending priorities.
Still, Trump has publicly defended Noem.
"I think she's doing a very good job," Trump told NBC News earlier this month, crediting her with helping secure the border and saying she may have a "public relations" challenge but remains effective.
The Journal also reported that despite criticism from some Democrats and private concerns within the administration, Trump has resisted calls to remove Noem, stating he has "full confidence" in her leadership.
Under Noem, DHS has dramatically expanded deportation operations and redirected resources toward immigration enforcement, a central pillar of Trump's second-term agenda.
Supporters argue that critics inside the bureaucracy are resistant to change and uncomfortable with a more aggressive border security posture.
DHS officials maintain that the Coast Guard remains mission-ready and that suggestions of a crisis in morale or leadership are politically motivated.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.