"The responsibility we have to Indian Country is a true federal obligation. it is no different than us having to pay our national debt or the interest on it, because it is a treaty we have signed with these tribes."

"As I said in my opening statement, I want to protect the homeland, I want to bring peace of mind, I want to bring confidence back to the agency. I’m not going to be the smartest guy in any room I walk into, but I know how to get talent and I know how to bring those people together."

"I don’t care what color your state is. I don’t care if you’re red or you’re blue. At the end of the day, my job is to be Secretary of Homeland Security and to protect everybody. (March 24, 2026)"

"I do spank. I have no problem with that."

"I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force?"

"Tell it to my face, tell the world why you believe I deserved to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken and a damaged lung. And while you’re at it, explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues to lead DHS."