The liberal media delights in reports of friction within the Trump administration, and Jake Tapper tried to turn one into reality on Sunday’s edition of CNN’s State of the Union. With border czar Tom Homan as his guest, Tapper repeatedly attempted to lure him into criticizing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Axios recently reported friction between the two, and Tapper clearly sought to exploit the issue. Tapper began by playing a clip of Noem saying that when it comes to elections, it’s important for DHS to be proactive “to make sure that we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country.” Tapper invited Homan to interpret Noem’s statement about “electing the right leaders.” Homan demurred, saying that would be a question for the Secretary. But he added, actually defending Noem: “If I had to guess, probably that only those legally eligible to vote would vote.” @JakeTapper Tries To Lure Homan Into Bashing Noem — Border Czar Won't Bite pic.twitter.com/4tsLbpMhXm — Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) February 15, 2026 Tapper then pivoted to flattery. Quoting an unidentified Minnesota official, Tapper said Homan had been a “straight shooter,” “easier to work with,” and “a career cop,” whereas Noem and Greg Bovino, the former Border Patrol commander at large, were “actually insane.” Tapper pressed: “Why do you think Noem and Bovino struggled so much to work with local officials, the way you have successfully?” Homan wouldn’t bite, explaining instead that he met with Minnesota’s governor and attorney general, and the Minneapolis mayor because, “You can’t fix problems talking in an echo chamber. You’ve got to talk to the people that you may disagree with.” Tapper gushed: “You sound like an adult. You sound like an official who should be in charge of things.” Hoping the buttering-up had worked, Tapper tried again to get Homan to shiv Noem: “We’ve seen countless examples, again, this is not you, but do you agree that there are people in the Trump administration that are causing DHS to have a credibility problem?” The border czar refused to take the bait. “I’m not going to let the media divide this administration. Look, it’s one team, one fight.” Homan acknowledged that he and Noem don’t always agree, but said that’s what makes a strong team: “We bring different ideas to the table, then agree on a mission.” He then repeated the key line of the day: “It’s one team, one fight. I’m not going to divide this administration.” Poor Jake was forced to throw in the towel: “I hear what you’re saying. I’m not going to get you to criticize anybody.” In admitting defeat, Tapper exposed his goal: to tempt Homan into criticizing Noem. Tapper wouldn't want someone to goad him repeatedly into criticizing Anderson Cooper or Brian Stelter.  A for effort, Jake — but no cigar. Here's the transcript. CNN State of the Union 2/15/26 9:17 am ET JAKE TAPPER: DHS Secretary Noem made some comments that Democratic leader Schumer just commented on earlier in the show. I want to play them for you.  KRISTI NOEM: It may be one of the most important things that we need to make sure we trust, is reliable, and that when it gets to election day that we've been proactive to make sure that we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country.  TAPPER: So, what does she mean when she says, electing the right leaders? That's not really immigration enforcement or DHS responsibility.  TOM HOMAN: I don't know. That'd be a question for the Secretary. If I had to guess, probably that, you know, only those legally eligible to vote would vote. But I have not talked to the Secretary about those statements. That'd be something she'd have to answer.  TAPPER: This week, after 74 days, you declared the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota officially over. I talked to a local Minnesota official who told me the following, quote, Homan has been a straight shooter with us. He's easier for us to work with because he's a career cop and he knows how to talk with our law enforcement. Noem and Bovino were actually insane and not here to do anything other than put on a show, unquote.  Why do you think Noem and Bovino struggled so much to work with local officials, the way you have successfully, and carry out the kind of targeted operations that you've always advocated for?  HOMAN: Look, the president called me and asked me to go to Minnesota and asked me to get up there that same day, and I went up there. I just did things the way I've done for 40 years.  And I know a lot of people questioned, why are you meeting with the governor? Why are you meeting with the attorney general and Mayor Frey? I've always been, you can't fix problems talking in an echo chamber. You've got to talk to the people that you may disagree with. People have a different opinion on how you're doing it. I want to hear. I want to see what do you see as the issue? Why do you not agree with certain aspects of the operation? That's how you, in my experience, that's how you fix problems. You don't fix it in an echo chamber.  So I met with them, and look, we came out, I think it's safer in Minnesota, safer in Minneapolis, because now we have coordination in the jails that we didn't have before.  . . .  TAPPER: I mean, you sound like an adult. You sound like an official who should be in charge of things because you work with local officials and seek to deescalate and have targeted operations.  But there's this credibility issue now that DHS has had, not because of you, sir, but over and over, your colleagues who work on this issue, Noem, Bovino, DHS on social media, have said things to the American people that are simply not true.  The most recent example, perhaps, two immigration agents last month said that they shot a Venezuelan man in Minnesota after they were attacked with shovels and broom handles. Noem went on social media. She attacked Governor Walz and Mayor Frey over what she called an attempted murder of federal law enforcement. But then, testimony and video shown in court didn't back up the claim, and now ICE and the Justice Department are investigating whether those immigration officers lied. And we've seen countless examples, again, this is not you, but do you agree that there are people in the Trump administration that are causing DHS to have a credibility problem? HOMAN: Well, like I said in my first press conference in Minnesota, in those comments, the first thing I thought I was going to do, and I did, was bring more internal affairs officers to Minnesota to investigate the allegations. Allegations made, they need to be investigated. And, again, I won't discuss the investigations. We'll let the internal affairs and the Bureau investigate these allegations, and that's the right thing to do.  But I'm not going to let the media divide this administration. Look, it's one team, one fight.  And, you know, do me and Secretary Noem agree on everything? No. We have discussions and we have differences of opinion. That's what makes it a strong team. We bring different ideas to the table, then agree on a mission. But based on, you know, again, you can't work in an echo chamber. You want to hear different opinions, different, you know, how you think this should happen or that should happen. But in the end, we clear a mission. We have great success on it.  But it's one team, one fight. I'm not going to divide this administration. I'm going to just keep doing what the president wants me to do as the border czar, and we'll just keep going and doing what the president promised the American people. We've got the most secure border in the history of this nation, and we're arresting record numbers of criminal aliens in this country and deporting them, and we're going to keep doing it.  TAPPER: So, I'm not talking about differences of opinion. I'm just talking about facts and things that are not facts. But I hear what you're saying. I'm not going to get you to criticize anybody.  I appreciate your time today, Mr. Homan. Thanks so much.  HOMAN: Thank you, sir.