Ousted Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem confronted a slew of scandals, media snafus and ridiculous moments earlier than President Trump lastly fired her Thursday.
The 54-year-old former governor of South Dakota — nicknamed “ICE Barbie” for her completely coiffed tresses and TV-ready make-up — has caught warmth for every little thing from killing her canine to working a $220 million advert marketing campaign of herself dressed as a cowgirl.
Right here’s a round-up of essentially the most outrageous moments of her controversial year-and-change-long tenure.
Carrying a $60,000 Rolex to go to jail
Noem was slammed as wildly out of contact in March 2025, when she wore a $60,000 Rolex watch to tour a run-down El Salvadoran jail.
She wore the glittering gold “Cosmograph Daytona” timepiece — dubbed the “unique sports activities automotive” of watches — as she shot footage subsequent to overcrowded prisoner bunks, the place lots of of Venezuelan migrants had been deported and incarcerated.
Luxurious air journey and a ‘Massive Stunning Jet’
Noem sparked criticism for utilizing border funds to purchase a fleet of personal luxurious plane— together with a $70-million jet that will have been utilized by Noem herself.
The division spent greater than $300 million on three personal jets, together with two Gulfstream G700s bought and a Boeing 737, nicknamed the “Massive Stunning Jet,” in response to studies.
One jet contains a queen-size mattress, showers, a kitchen, 4 massive flat-screen televisions — drawing accusations that she wasted company funds.
$220 million advert boondoggle
An costly advert marketing campaign that includes Noem carrying a cowboy hat on a horse has irked Trump — who mentioned he hadn’t signed off $220 million commercial.
When Republican Sen. John Kennedy pressed Noem at a congressional listening to this week about whether or not Trump had authorized the self-promoting advert, she implied that he had.
Trump, nevertheless, mentioned he “by no means knew something about it.”
Sources advised The Publish that Noem’s response to the advert boondoggle — and being requested whether or not she had had a sexual relationship along with her high aide Corey Lewandowski — pushed Trump to axe “ICE Barbie.”
Capturing her ‘untrainable’ canine Cricket
In an try to point out she will do “troublesome, messy and ugly” issues as a politician, Noem wrote in her memoir that she shot useless her household canine, Cricket.
Noem mentioned the 14-month-old wirehaired pointer was “untrainable” and “harmful,” so she led the pup right into a gravel pit and killed her.
“I hated that canine,” she wrote. “It needed to be executed.”
The anecdote didn’t precisely land effectively, as critics known as her every little thing from “intentionally merciless” to “lazy” and “evil.”
Sources advised The Publish on the time that the pet slaughter killed Noem’s shot at turning into Trump’s 2024 working mate.
“Trump isn’t a canine individual essentially,” the supply mentioned, “however I believe he understands that you could’t select a pet killer as your decide, for blatantly apparent causes.”
Pilot fired for leaving blanket behind
Lewandowski fired a Coast Guard pilot for misplacing Noem’s blanket as they switched planes.
Lewandowski — who Noem is rumored to be having an affair with — reportedly walked into the cockpit of the Coast Guard aircraft because it was taking off and flipped out over the lacking blanket. Lewandowski has disputed the account of the incident.
Noem, who’s married, lately dismissed rumors of the alleged affair along with her adviser as “rubbish.”
