In response to being called a “loser” by President Donald Trump, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) took a dig at top White House aide Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Wednesday.

“I am thrilled about that,” Tillis told CNN’s chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju. “That makes me qualified to be homeland security secretary and senior adviser to the president.”

“Yikes,” CNN anchor Dana Bash said after hearing Tillis’ jab.

Tension between Trump and Tillis grew in the aftermath of Alex Pretti’s fatal shooting by federal immigration officers. Tillis, along with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who both confirmed Noem as the homeland security secretary last year, echoed other right-wing calls for her to be fired.

“I feel like she is discrediting the law enforcement officers of Homeland Security, whether it’s Border Patrol, ICE, Customs ― she is way out of her depth,” Tillis told HuffPost earlier this week. “She needs to get out of the DHS.”

Trump called both senators “losers” in an interview with ABC News.

“They’re terrible senators. One is gone and the other should be gone,” Trump said, referencing Tillis’ retirement. “What Murkowski says ― she’s always against the Republicans anyway. And Tillis decided to drop out. So you know, he lost his voice once he did that.”

Tillis also called Miller and Noem “amateurs,” according to Raju. He told the host that if Noem were to continue in her role it would signal “that we’re allowing incompetent people in very prominent roles in the Cabinet.”