Kristi Noem’s First Dhs Meeting Where She Entered To ‘hot Momma’ Was Like Being In A South Park Episode, Staffers Say

Kristi Noem’s first Department of Homeland Security municipality hall, wherever she walked onstage to nan opus Hot Mama, was for illustration thing retired of a South Park episode, erstwhile staffers revealed.

Dozens of existent and erstwhile labor gave accounts to The New York Times astir what it was for illustration to activity nether Noem earlier she was unceremoniously dumped arsenic Homeland Security Secretary by President Donald Trump past month. Former and existent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Border Patrol officers, argumentation officials, executives and national attorneys told stories of their clip astatine nan section during nan Trump administration’s sweeping migration crackdown.

One of them recalled nan peculiarly cringey infinitesimal Noem made her debut astatine her first section municipality hall, and came up to nan shape against nan backdrop of Trace Adkins’ state deed earlier she addressed staffers for nan first time.

“She came retired onstage to nan taxable opus Hot Mama, said for possibly a fewer minutes and took nary questions and left,” Jason Marks, a erstwhile supervisory exile serviceman astatine nan U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, told nan newspaper. “It was thing everyone was talking astir successful existent time,” said Marks, who wasn’t successful nan room astatine nan time. “It felt for illustration a South Park moment.”

Noem was depicted successful a South Park section past year, wherever nan creators made nosy of her quality successful an section wherever her Botox runs out. The erstwhile caput said astatine nan clip nan animation was “petty” and “lazy.”

Other erstwhile staffers lamented complete Noem’s assignment and questioned her acquisition successful accounts to The Times. “We were disappointed that personification was chosen pinch truthful small applicable experience,” said Danny Chin, a erstwhile subordinate counsel astatine nan aforesaid agency arsenic Marks. “Her declare to fame was sidesplitting a puppy, truthful location were a batch of morbid jokes astir really she could use that accuracy to immigrants.”

Another anonymous worker successful nan DHS argumentation agency told The Times that staffers were fearful of Noem’s closest advisor, Corey Lewandowski.

“Lewandowski would return immoderate telephone calls connected Noem’s behalf. It seemed for illustration he was making decisions. There were rumors that he would troll nan halls and spot quiet desks and cheque nan sanction plates and taxable them for a purge of employees,” nan staffer said. “So group started leaving Post-it notes connected their desks, like: In a meeting. In nan restroom.”

It has agelong been rumored that Noem and Lewandowski person engaged successful an affair. When asked astatine a House Judiciary Committee proceeding if she ever had “sexual relations” pinch Lewandowski, Noem accused lawmakers of spreading “tabloid garbage.” Both person powerfully denied being successful a relationship.

Federal labor gave an relationship of what happened astatine an aggravated gathering successful May, 2025, pinch Noem and White House lawman main of unit Stephen Miller, where he laid retired nan Trump administration’s regular apprehension and deportation targets.

One unnamed erstwhile ICE elder executive told The Times that staffers “knew” they were “going to get a lingua lashing.”

When Noem was introduced to speak astatine nan meeting, she reportedly threatened nan staff. “She says to us, If I get fired successful six months, I’m going to make judge you get fired successful six months,” nan worker said. “And I’m like: Hold connected a second. I’ve been doing this for complete 30 years, and you conscionable sewage six months nether your belt. You should get fired because you don’t cognize really to tally nan mission.”

In consequence to nan reporting, nan White House touted nan Trump administration’s deportation cognition successful a connection to nan outlet. “President Trump’s highest privilege has ever been nan deportation of forbidden alien criminals who endanger American communities,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said.

Lauren Bis, DHS acting adjunct caput of nationalist affairs, besides praised national migration agents successful consequence to nan report, and said they were targeting “the worst of nan worst including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, pack members and terrorists,” while facing “a coordinated run of unit against them.”

Noem appeared to beryllium keeping a debased floor plan aft a caller ungraded put her matrimony of 33-years to Bryon Noem successful nan spotlight. Her husband’s extra-marital activities were laid bare successful a bid of reports by nan Daily Mail, which he told The Independent were “not each true” successful a little connection past week.

After Trump fired her successful March, pursuing his displeasure astatine Noem’s claims that he signed disconnected connected a multi-million dollar deportation advertisement run during legislature hearings, he sidelined her to a little-known inaugural astatine nan State Department.