Overview
- An inspector general report in November found certain TSA full-body scanners cannot screen shoes, creating a new vulnerability after the policy shift.
- Reporting says Noem’s office elevated the report’s classification and blocked its release, while DHS and Noem deny suppression and say vulnerabilities were addressed.
- The inspector general notified key lawmakers that TSA had not responded to four recommendations and missed a Jan. 30 deadline to submit a remediation plan.
- White House officials were briefed on the findings, and the press secretary says President Trump continues to have full confidence in Noem.
- Republican lawmakers have voiced concerns about Noem’s leadership, with some urging her removal as wider management issues at DHS face growing scrutiny.