U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has been promoting the agency she oversees on social media with photos of her side-by-side with law enforcement while wearing uniforms to match those worn by the officers.
As seen below, Noem wore a US Coast Guard uniform on Monday when she joined the Maritime Security Response Team for a counter-terrorism exercise on the USCG Elm in San Diego, California.
Joined the @USCG Maritime Security Response Team for a counter-terrorism exercise on USCG Elm in San Diego.
Always ready. pic.twitter.com/UgiFdN878E
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) March 17, 2025
At the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California, Noem wore a California Border Patrol (CBP) shirt and hat as she watched uniformed CBP officers discuss the bricks of cocaine they found hidden in a vehicle.
Noem’s supporters are praising her with compliments — “great work” — and credit her with “keeping drugs off the street.” But Noem’s critics are ridiculing the former South Dakota governor for “playing in costumes.”
Such a play hard dork https://t.co/sFqMA7zXNj
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini)
(@AdamKinzinger) March 19, 2025
MeidasTouch editor in chief Ron Filipkowski replied “I think the only thing left for Kristi Noem to play is submarine captain and astronaut,” and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) replied: “Such a play hard dork.”
Noem was also photographed with CBP K-9s, which triggered a litany of digs against Noem who admitted in her memoir that she killed her 14-month-old dog Cricket, who she said she “hated” and was “untrainable” as a hunting dog.
Our CBP K-9s are on the front lines of finding deadly drugs, smuggled humans, and keeping our law enforcement safe. pic.twitter.com/nr9WIz6wxR
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) March 17, 2025
Critics of Noem replied: “Please try not to kill them like you do at home,” and “I won’t shoot this dog ‘til next week,” and “Step away from the dogs, Kristi.”
Another replied with a link to an article about DOGE reportedly cutting funds for the National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program (which provides bomb-sniffing dogs at TSA, an agency of Homeland Security), the same week President Trump celebrated K9 Veterans Day at the White House.
Happy K9 Veterans Day to all of our heroic working dogs, including Conan who fearlessly participated in the military operation that ended ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019.
pic.twitter.com/FcVlWHM378 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 13, 2025
Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin shared a internal memo targeting the program which was reportedly distributed at TSA after the funding freeze was announced. It read: “As of the moment, ALL requests for everything to include (Vet visits, kenneling, dog food, etc…) have been put on hold until we receive further guidance.”
A spokesperson for the TSA responded: “Our heroic canines are happy, healthy, and funded. Credit card purchases have been restricted for 30 days, but Canine operations have not been adversely affected by this effort.”