FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The former Secretary of Homeland Security faced a series of controversies, media gaffes, and controversial episodes during her tenure.
Former US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced a series of scandals, media gaffes and unusual episodes before President Donald Trump fired her on Thursday.
Noem, 54, the former governor of South Dakota, dubbed "ICE Barbie" by critics for her neat hairstyle and television-appropriate makeup, has been criticized for a range of issues, from the killing of her dog to a $220 million ad campaign that featured her dressed as a cowboy.
Below are some of the most controversial moments during her little more than a year-long tenure.
$60,000 Rolex watch during prison visit
Noem was heavily criticized in March 2025 when she wore a Rolex watch worth about $60,000 during a visit to a dilapidated prison in El Salvador.
She wore the luxurious gold Cosmograph Daytona model – often described as the “exotic sports car” of watches – as she filmed footage near overcrowded prison beds where hundreds of deported Venezuelan migrants had been taken into custody.
Luxury Air Travel and the “Big Beautiful Jet”
Noem also faced criticism for using border funds to purchase a fleet of luxury private jets, including a $70 million jet that she may have used herself. The department spent more than $300 million on three private jets, including two Gulfstream G700s and a Boeing 737, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Jet” in reports. One of the jets included a double bed, shower, kitchen and four large flat-screen televisions, prompting accusations that agency funds were being used for luxury.
The $220 million advertising campaign
An expensive advertising campaign featuring Noem in a cowboy hat and riding a horse also angered Trump, who said he had not approved the $220 million project. When Senator John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) asked Noem during a congressional hearing whether Trump had approved the ads that also promoted her image, she implied that the approval had existed. Trump, however, declared that he “knew nothing about it.”
According to sources cited by the New York Post, Noem's reaction to this issue, as well as questions about whether she had had an intimate relationship with her top aide Corey Lewandowski, influenced Trump's decision to fire her.
The Killing of Cricket the Dog
In an effort to show how a politician can make “difficult, uncomfortable and ugly” decisions, Noem wrote in her autobiography that she had killed the family dog. She said the 14-month-old wirehaired pointer, named Cricket, was “untrainable” and “dangerous,” so she took him to a gravel pit and shot him. “I hated that dog,” she wrote. “It had to be done.” The confession drew strong reactions from critics, who called the action “deliberately cruel” to “evil.” According to sources cited by the New York Post at the time, the episode also affected Noem’s chances of being selected as a vice presidential candidate in the 2024 election. “Trump is not necessarily a dog person,” said one source, “but he understands that you can’t elect a person who killed a puppy as a candidate.”
The pilot was fired for a forgotten blanket
Lewandowski also fired a Coast Guard pilot after he lost Noem's blanket during a plane change. Lewandowski, who is rumored to be having an affair with Noem, reportedly entered the cockpit of the Coast Guard plane as it was taking off and lashed out at the missing blanket. Lewandowski has disputed that version of the incident. Noem, who is married, recently dismissed rumors of an affair with her advisor, calling them "nonsense."
Iu zgafllua shume bukuroshes e nuk ben me qe e hoqen.
Eshte shume interesant fakti qe keto kodoshet bukuroshe kane shume qejf te shalojne kuajt hamshore.