The 5 methods ‘ICE Barbie’ Kristi Noem spelled her personal doom as Trump’s chaotic DHS secretary | EUROtoday

After Kristi Noem’s Senate listening to this week, President Donald Trump referred to as up Republican Sen. John Kennedy in a rage.

“He was mad as a murder hornet,” the Louisiana senator instructed The Independent and different reporters Thursday. “I remember thinking that the secretary’s pretty much as dead as fried chicken,” he instructed one other gaggle of reporters.

The outgoing Homeland Security Secretary was already hanging by a thread, however the last nail within the coffin got here this week throughout combative congressional testimony, the place the Louisiana senator performed a number one position.

During two days of blistering criticism from each Democrats and Republicans, Noem stated Trump had signed off on a multimillion-dollar advert marketing campaign (a declare that reportedly “incensed” the president and prompted him to disclaim it publicly), rebuffed makes an attempt to instantly deal with allegations of an improper relationship along with her high adviser, and refused to apologize for falsely labeling two American residents slain by federal brokers working underneath the DHS umbrella as home terrorists.

Noem made historical past Thursday as the primary Cabinet secretary ousted in Trump’s second time period, however many had been left unsurprised; the writing had been on the wall for months.

“Replacing Kristi was based on the culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE,” a Trump administration official instructed The Atlantic.

Noem will turn into “special envoy” for a little-known safety initiative referred to as “The Shield of the Americas,” whereas Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin has been tapped to switch her.

It has been fairly the autumn from grace for Noem, who at one level was being thought of by Trump as his working mate within the 2024 presidential election, in line with The Atlantic. Her title was crossed off the record of contenders over her admission in a memoir that she shot her personal pet.

Trump truly considered the outrageous act as “an asset” and it was one of many causes he tapped Noem to go up Homeland Security as a substitute, in line with an excerpt of an upcoming ebook concerning the meltdown on the division underneath her tenure.

She was chastised over the canine killing within the congressional hearings this week, which finally proved to be “water boiling over the edge of the pot” for Trump, as one Republican senator put it to NBC News.

Here The Independent appears to be like again at Noem’s chaotic 13-month tenure because the Department of Homeland Security chief.

Minnesota crackdown and branding slain US residents ‘domestic terrorists’

Minneapolis turned the point of interest of Trump’s immigration crackdown late final 12 months after Homeland Security deployed hundreds of federal brokers to the Minnesota metropolis. In January, these operations turned lethal when brokers fatally shot two U.S. residents: mom of three Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, on Jan. 24.

Trump-aligned Kennedy joined Democrats Tuesday in making an attempt to get Noem to reply why she would baselessly accuse Good and Pretti of home terrorism after her officers shot them at point-blank vary.

Noem refused to again down and apologize for falsely labeling the American residents as home terrorists, a transfer which noticed her sidelined on the time by Trump. He despatched his border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to “clean up the mess,” The Atlantic reported.

“The fact you can’t admit to a mistake — which looks like, under investigation, is going to prove that Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti probably should not have been shot in the face and in the back,” Republican Sen. Thom Tillis additionally chimed in.

There was no love misplaced between Noem and Democratic leaders in Minnesota following her ouster, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey declaring, “Good riddance.”

More broadly, Noem’s dealing with of Trump’s immigration crackdown has drawn important scrutiny.

Under her management, the proportion of ICE detainees with out felony convictions has skyrocketed, contradicting the administration’s pledge to focus on the “worst of the worst.” Upwards of 170 American residents have been taken into custody, and greater than 200 Venezuelan migrants had been deported to El Salvador’s brutal CECOT jail.

Critics have additionally accused ICE brokers of exhibiting reckless conduct, counting on racial discrimination and receiving minimal coaching — allegations the company has rebuffed.

In February, as criticism intensified, DHS’s unbiased watchdog stated it launched a number of probes into ICE operations, together with hiring practices, expedited removals, use-of-force and detention situations.

During a congressional listening to this week, Tillis cited the investigations as proof of Noem’s management failures, evaluating her missteps to her stunning anecdote about killing her personal pet.

Rumored affair with high adviser Lewandowski

For months, Noem has been dogged by allegations that she has maintained an inappropriate relationship with Corey Lewandowski, her high adviser and a longtime Trump ally who labored as a particular authorities worker at Homeland Security.

Lewandowski initially wished to function Noem’s chief of employees, however it was struck down by Trump out of concern over rumors of a romantic relationship between the pair, in line with The Wall Street Journal.

Both are married to different folks, however in line with reviews the alleged affair was the “worst-kept secret in D.C,” in line with New York Magazine. They have each denied the rumors, however Noem refused to instantly reply questions concerning the alleged romance throughout a House Judiciary Committee listening to this week.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a California Democrat, requested Noem level clean if she ever had a “sexual” relationship with Lewandowski.

Noem, whose husband awkwardly sat behind her through the listening to, leaving simply earlier than that line of questioning, refused to reply instantly.

“I am shocked we’re peddling tabloid garbage in this committee,” she stated.

Noem continued to fend off the questions on Lewandowski, and accused Democrats of attacking conservative girls.

“You say that we’re either stupid or we’re sluts. That’s what you do,” she replied to Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida.

“And I will tell you sir, I will tell you sir, I am neither of those.”

Scrutiny over spending on DHS advert marketing campaign contracts

Trump stated he “wasn’t thrilled” with Noem’s determination to splurge $220 million on a DHS promoting marketing campaign final February, which used public funds and featured video of her driving on horseback in entrance of Mount Rushmore. “Break our laws, we’ll punish you,” Noem says within the advert.

“I wasn’t thrilled with it. I spent less money than that to become president. I didn’t know about it,” Trump instructed NBC News simply hours after firing Noem.

It was Noem’s declare that Trump signed off on the marketing campaign that left him “incensed.”

During Senate testimony this week, she instructed Kennedy that Trump knew about her determination to approve the advert marketing campaign contracts.

“The president approved ahead of time you spending $220 million running TV ads across the country?” Kennedy requested Noem on the listening to.

“Yes, sir,” Noem replied. “We went through the legal processes, did it correctly.”

When pressed once more whether or not the president knew Noem was going forward, she replied, “Yes.”

Shortly earlier than asserting Noem was getting the ax, the president instructed Reuters that he “never knew ⁠anything about it.”

Much of the cash for the marketing campaign was paid to an organization linked to Noem’s personal spokesperson, although Noem has stated she was not concerned in selecting contractors.

And in October, Noem raised eyebrows when the DHS bought a pair of luxurious jets price about $172 million. Months later, the division made plans to purchase a 3rd airplane for about $70 million that might be used for deportations and journey for Cabinet officers, a transfer that horrified high administration officers, in line with Axios.

“What kind of deportee justifies being flown out of the country in a luxury jet with a bedroom and accommodations like this?” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, requested Noem this week. She responded that, by buying the plane, she was the truth is saving American taxpayers’ cash.

“You’re treating the billions of dollars our GOP colleagues gave your department like a personal slush fund,” added Rep. Jamie Raskin, the highest Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, instructed Noem on Wednesday.

Focus on burnishing public picture and dubbed ‘Cosplay Kristi’

The newly ousted secretary additionally has gained a fame for self-promotion, regularly showing on tv and at press occasions in eye-catching apparel, together with tactical gear and cowboy hats, main critics to dub her the “ICE Barbie” and “Cosplay Kristi.”

While in workplace, she intently saved monitor of how her “national profile compared with other administration officials” and “routinely berated staff if she saw Homan on TV,” in line with The Wall Street Journal. A DHS spokesperson refuted this declare.

During one notable photo-op in March, Noem wore a gold Rolex watch whereas visiting El Salvador’s CECOT jail. She posed in entrance of prisoners, who stood stone-faced whereas she recorded a video for social media.

Gutting FEMA

On high of the whole lot else, Noem carried out strict oversight of operations on the FEMA, creating bottlenecks in support distribution.

In June, she mandated that each one company spending above $100,000 obtain her private approval to curb “waste, fraud, and abuse,” in line with The New York Times. The directive, nonetheless, induced delays in distributing greater than $15 billion in catastrophe aid funds to states reeling from pure disasters.

The Washington Post additionally reported in January that Noem deliberate to slash the variety of FEMA catastrophe responders by half in 2026. An company spokesperson stated it isn’t implementing a “percentage-based workforce reduction.”

— with reporting from Eric Garcia in Washington, DC and Brendan Rascius