Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is calling foul on CBS News, accusing them of doctoring her "Face the Nation" interview to soften the truth about an alleged MS-13 gang member.
Fox News reported that Noem appeared on the Sunday show, where host Ed O'Keefe pressed her on the Trump administration’s handling of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national facing human smuggling charges.
She claims CBS edited her responses to downplay the severity of Abrego Garcia’s alleged crimes. The network insists the cuts were routine for time constraints, with the full interview available online.
Noem took to social media, slamming CBS for “shamefully” altering her words to obscure the danger posed by Abrego Garcia.
She posted an unedited clip, revealing details about his alleged MS-13 ties and criminal behavior that didn’t make the broadcast. The move sparked a firestorm, with conservatives crying foul over media bias.
In the televised segment, Noem explained that the Department of Justice handles prosecution decisions, noting Abrego Garcia faces both criminal and civil charges.
“Prosecution decisions are always made by the Department of Justice and Pam Bondi’s department,” she said, emphasizing the administration’s goal to keep him out of the U.S. CBS cut parts of her response, jumping to O’Keefe’s question about deporting Abrego Garcia to Uganda.
The unedited clip Noem shared paints a darker picture, describing Abrego Garcia as a “known human smuggler” and “wife beater” who allegedly solicited nude photos from minors.
She argued his actions were so egregious that even fellow traffickers objected. This vivid detail, absent from the broadcast, fuels Noem’s claim that CBS sanitized the story.
CBS News pushed back, with a spokesperson stating, “Secretary Noem’s ‘Face The Nation’ interview was edited for time and met all CBS News standards.” They pointed out that the full interview is on YouTube and the transcript is on CBSNews.com. Yet, conservatives argue this is another case of media outlets shielding progressive agendas by softening inconvenient truths.
Abrego Garcia, who entered the U.S. illegally over a decade ago, was erroneously deported to El Salvador in March despite an immigration judge’s order barring such a move due to his fears of persecution.
The Trump administration resisted returning him for nearly two months, defying a Supreme Court order. In June, the Department of Justice brought him back and indicted him on two counts of conspiring to transport unauthorized migrants.
Last week, Abrego Garcia was released from jail but swiftly re-detained by immigration authorities in Maryland. On Aug. 25, 2025, he and his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, were spotted entering an ICE field office in Baltimore amid a media frenzy. Abrego Garcia denies all allegations, but his legal battles are far from over.
His lawyers, meanwhile, are fighting back, asking a Tennessee federal judge on Thursday for a gag order against Trump administration officials, including Noem.
They argue that repeated claims labeling Abrego Garcia an MS-13 member, human trafficker, and child predator risk prejudicing his case. Such rhetoric, they say, could taint the jury pool and undermine a fair trial.
Noem’s accusations against CBS echo broader conservative distrust of mainstream media, especially after the network’s recent legal troubles.
CBS previously faced heat for allegedly deceptive editing in a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. That controversy led to a $20 billion lawsuit from President Trump, settled in July with Paramount Global and CBS paying $16 million for legal fees and contributions to Trump’s causes.
The edited “Face the Nation” clip, Noem argues, misleads viewers about the threat posed by individuals like Abrego Garcia. “CBS shamefully edited the interview to whitewash the truth about this MS-13 gang member,” she posted online. Her supporters see this as another attempt by liberal media to downplay border security concerns.
While CBS claims its edits were standard, the decision to cut Noem’s stark description of Abrego Garcia’s alleged crimes raises eyebrows. Why omit details that underscore the administration’s deportation push? To many on the right, it smells like selective storytelling to fit a narrative.
Abrego Garcia’s case highlights the tension between legal due process and the Trump administration’s hardline immigration stance.
His lawyers’ push for a gag order reflects concerns that inflammatory rhetoric could sway public and judicial opinion. Yet, Noem’s defenders argue she’s right to sound the alarm on someone with such serious allegations.
The Department of Justice’s indictment and immigration authorities’ swift re-detention signal a no-nonsense approach to Abrego Garcia’s case.
Still, his erroneous deportation earlier this year raises questions about administrative competence. Critics on the left might argue this fuels distrust in the system, while conservatives see it as a reason to tighten borders further.
