Fumbling Kristi Noem ends presser when asked whether CPB hit a party balloon with a laser
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly shut down a news conference Friday after being pressed about reports that Border Patrol officials may have mistakenly targeted party balloons with a high-energy laser, triggering a brief airspace shutdown over El Paso, Texas.
The moment came during a press conference in Phoenix, where a reporter asked Noem to clarify why the Federal Aviation Administration had abruptly closed the airspace over El Paso earlier this week – a decision that was reversed just eight hours later with little explanation.
When the subject came up on Friday, Noem declined to answer directly.
“This was a joint agency task force mission that was undertaken, and we're continuing to work on the communication through that,” Noem said. “But recognize we’re grateful for the partnership of the Department of War and the FAA as we go forward. Thank you.”
As the reporter attempted to follow up, Noem immediately cut off the exchange.
“All right, thanks everybody," she said, abruptly ending the news conference before additional questions could be asked.
According to multiple reports, the closure followed a test by Customs and Border Protection at nearby Fort Bliss of a high-energy laser against suspected foreign drones, which turned out to be party balloons.
Officials from the FAA and the Pentagon are scheduled to meet on Feb. 20 to discuss the technology and its potential risk to civilian aircraft.
Trump vows to defy Congress if voting laws unchanged for midterms
President Donald Trump argued Friday that he would push to change voter ID laws ahead of the midterm elections — regardless of congressional approval.
Trump has long threatened that elections should have stricter voter ID laws. He has said that such measures are necessary to prevent voter fraud and ensure election integrity, despite widespread evidence showing that voter fraud is extremely rare in U.S. elections.
His push for voter ID requirements and other voting restrictions has become a central issue in midterm campaigns, with Republicans generally supporting such measures while Democrats argue they disproportionately suppress voter turnout among minority communities and other key Democratic constituencies.
Trump wrote the following on his Truth Social platform:
"The Democrats refuse to vote for Voter I.D., or Citizenship. The reason is very simple — They want to continue to cheat in Elections. This was not what our Founders desired. I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future. There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not! Also, the People of our Country are insisting on Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel."
