Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced backlash after claiming Los Angeles "wouldn't be standing" if President Donald Trump hadn't deployed the National Guard in response to protests.

During a Sunday interview on CBS, host Ed O'Keefe asked Noem if she expected Trump to deploy troops to Chicago.

"You know, that always is a prerogative of President Trump and his decision," the secretary replied. "I won't speak to the specifics of the operations that are planned in other cities, but I do know that L.A. wouldn't be standing today if President Trump hadn't taken action, then that city would have burned down if left to the devices of the mayor and the governor of that state."

"You said L.A. wouldn't be standing, if not for these federal deployments?" the shocked host clarified.

"So many of those homes and businesses that were in downtown L.A. and in those areas were dealing with riots and violence, and coming in and bringing those federal law enforcement officers in was incredibly important to keeping peace," Noem insisted. "And so we are grateful that President Trump was willing to send resources and people in in order to enforce the law."

Noem's remarks were met with criticism.

"Kristi Noem just said on Face the Nation that her actions kept LA from being burned down by rioters," one Los Angeles commenter wrote on X. "She neglected to mention that her actions caused people to riot."

"So NOEM is saying that LA would have burned to the ground if not for them!" Jean Toth noted. "There were RIOTS & fires blah blah blah! It IS BECAUSE of ICE & the NATIONAL GUARD that the riots started! Is SHE THAT STUPID?"

"The NATIONAL GUARD did NOT sign up FOR THIS!"

Watch the video below from CBS or click the link.