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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s cosplay habit is getting in the way of actually doing her job, and some days, it’s unclear whether she’s trying to lead her department or if she’s simply vying for a brand deal.
“Live this AM from NYC. I’m on it,” Noem wrote on X on January 28, as she joined an early morning ICE raid.
People familiar with the mission told the Wall Street Journal that Noem’s publicity stunt actually hindered agents from being able to arrest as many people as they intended.
Tricia McLaughlin, the top spokesperson of DHS, disputed this claim, saying that Noem didn’t make the post until the end of the raid.
But of course, that wasn’t her last time posting live updates during a government operation.
Last week, Noem teamed up with Libs of TikTok creator Chaya Raichik, who posted step-by-step updates of ICE’s movements during three arrests in Arizona. Noem shared a video of herself during which she noticeably aimed her weapon at the head of a fellow DHS employee, who quickly took a step back.
Since joining President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, Noem has been working overtime to get in as many media appearances as possible. From riding on an ATV along the border wall to joining the coast guard in a rescue boat, Noem loves playing dress-up.
“I will tell you that I oversee 26 different components of the Department of Homeland Security, and they are so proud of the fact that I’m willing to wear an ICE hat, that I’m willing to wear an HSI vest, that I’m willing to go into there and wear something and be proud of them and the work that they do. They didn’t have that with the last leadership team,” she told Fox News.
But Noem’s team of photographers and videographers costs money, which is interesting considering the Trump administration’s supposed efforts to cut “waste, fraud, and abuse.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration allotted $200 million to Noem’s PR efforts, and she’s used about $9 million on an ad where she tells undocumented immigrants to “leave now.”
This funding came from the now shuttered DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, but—unsurprisingly—has been excluded from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency’s magnifying glass as it takes an axe to vital federal programs.
According to the DHS website, the purpose of the office was to investigate “complaints from the public alleging violations of civil rights and civil liberties in DHS activities.” This included race-based discrimination in the workplace, suggesting that it might have been cut as part of Trump’s crusade against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
But if there was ever a time to gather complaints of civil rights violations, this would be it.
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