Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen remained tight-lipped Thursday when asked whether she had ever considered resigning from her post.
At the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, NBC News’ Peter Alexander asked Nielsen twice whether she had thought about it.
“I will continue to work as hard as I can, as long as I can support the men and women of DHS,” Nielsen said the first time.
Alexander didn’t back down, asking a second time: “You ever consider it?”
“When I’ve heard those suggestions, they are in situations I would never consider resigning,” Nielsen said.
“As long as I can help America, I will continue to do my job,” she added.
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen addresses reports that she has considered resigning her @DHSgov role. #AspenSecurity pic.twitter.com/CSuz7CvWUm
— The Aspen Institute (@AspenInstitute) July 19, 2018
In May, the New York Times reported that Nielsen had told colleagues she was on the brink of resigning, after Trump rebuked her in front of the entire Cabinet for not addressing border security in a satisfactory manner. The report also said that she had written a resignation letter, but had not submitted it.
But a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security dismissed the report.
“The @nytimes article alleging that the secretary drafted a resignation letter yesterday and was close to resigning is false,” spokesperson Tyler Houlton tweeted. “The secretary is hard at work today on the President’s security-focused agenda and supporting the men and women of @DHSgov.”
