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Trump's unusual Cabinet meeting may reveal which officials are on thin ice
Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Trump's unusual Cabinet meeting may reveal which officials are on thin ice

Why Trump may have snubbed his closest allies.

President Donald Trump skipped over some key Cabinet secretaries on Thursday, leaving onlookers to speculate about who may be on the outs.

During the 10th Cabinet meeting of his second term, Trump wrapped up the gathering after a prompt hour and 20 minutes. Trump made the exceedingly rare decision not to take questions at the end of the meeting, and those tuning in noticed he skipped over some high-profile officials who are currently under intense scrutiny.

'Noem has come under fire from both Democrats and some Republicans.'

The most notable Cabinet official who seems to have been snubbed was Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who is at the center of a PR firestorm following another fatal shooting of an anti-ICE agitator in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Noem and other officials like top White House adviser Stephen Miller caught flak for their immediate categorization of Alex Pretti, calling him a "would-be assassin" who committed acts of "domestic terrorism." Footage has since emerged of a man believed to be Pretti spitting on federal agents and kicking the taillights out of a government vehicle just days before he was fatally shot following another altercation.

RELATED: 'Justice is coming': Border czar Tom Homan vows to stay in Minneapolis 'until the problem is gone'

Yuri Gripas/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Despite these new revelations, Noem has come under fire from both Democrats and some Republicans. The Trump administration has since swapped out Noem's leadership on the ground, reassigning Chief Greg Bovino and bringing border czar Tom Homan onto the operation.

Trump also glossed over Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose first year in office has been primarily plagued by frustration over the handling of the Epstein files. Similarly, Bondi is now being criticized for the perceived inaction amid the situation in Minneapolis after she touted another "very strong letter" she sent to Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.

While Noem and Bondi have received negative press for their professional duties, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer's personal life has been the focal point of a recent scandal.

Multiple department staff have been put on leave in recent weeks after an inspector general's investigation was launched into Chavez-DeRemer's alleged misconduct. The probe alleges that two staff members engaged in "travel fraud" by scheduling professional events as an excuse for personal travel while Chavez-DeRemer reportedly had an "inappropriate" relationship with a subordinate.

Although an internal investigation is ongoing, Chavez-DeRemer's lack of participation during the Cabinet meeting is notable.

RELATED: 'Horrifying situation': Some Republicans retreat following Minneapolis shooting of anti-ICE agitator

Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Another Cabinet member who refrained from speaking during Thursday's meeting was Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio has been center stage in the news cycle for weeks following the capture of Nicolas Maduro and as tensions in Iran escalate.

While Trump did not ask Rubio to speak, Rubio did spend hours testifying on Capitol Hill Wednesday in defense of the administration and its agenda.

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Rebeka Zeljko

Rebeka Zeljko

Rebeka Zeljko is a Capitol Hill and politics reporter for Blaze News.
@rebekazeljko →