American people assume 'cutesy time' is not over after ICE Barbie, Kristi Noem, was robbed in D.C. restaurant
- 17GEN4
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
NOT WINNING - The robbery of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s handbag in a Washington, D.C. restaurant on April 20, 2025, is a glaring indictment of the Trump administration’s hardline stance...optics and competence, exposing a leadership more concerned with staged photo ops than actual security. Noem, the head of a department tasked with safeguarding the nation’s borders, counterterrorism efforts, and disaster response, had her DHS access badge, $3,000 in cash, driver’s license, passport, apartment keys, medication, makeup bag, and blank checks stolen by an unknown white male wearing a medical mask—right under the nose of her Secret Service detail. This isn’t just a personal failure; it’s a symbolic disaster for an administration that campaigned on “making America safe again” while its own security chief can’t secure her own belongings in the capital.
The optics here are catastrophic. Noem, who has been criticized for prioritizing appearances—seen in her $50,000 gold Rolex while touring El Salvador’s mega-prison and mocked on X as “ICE Barbie” for her staged immigration enforcement photo ops—now looks like a caricature of incompetence. Posts on X capture the public’s scorn: users have called her out for “playing dress-up” and lacking the “common sense” to minimize risks, like not carrying sensitive items in public. One user even dubbed her actions “recklessness” that “endangers national security,” pointing to the taxpayer-funded vulnerability of a DHS secretary carrying blank checks and access badges so carelessly. This incident fuels the narrative that Noem is more focused on her image than her duties, a sentiment echoed by critics who’ve long questioned her qualifications for the role, given her lack of law enforcement background and experience governing a rural state far from the southern border she’s now tasked to secure.
The administration’s broader optics take a hit here too. Trump’s DHS, under Noem, has been touting “incredible progress” on border security, with Noem herself claiming ICE arrests of criminal aliens have doubled since she took office. Yet, this robbery undermines that narrative—how can the public trust an agency to secure the homeland when its leader can’t secure her own handbag in a restaurant? The stolen DHS badge poses a tangible risk, potentially granting access to sensitive facilities, yet the Secret Service’s investigation has so far yielded little beyond identifying the thief on security footage. This isn’t just a lapse; it’s a public relations nightmare for a president who promised to restore “respect for the rule of law.” The irony is palpable: Noem, who vowed to “empower our brave men and women in law enforcement,” couldn’t even empower her own security detail to prevent a petty theft.
This incident also exposes the administration’s hypocrisy on accountability. While Noem and Trump push the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut waste and “return power to the states,” they can’t seem to manage the basics—like ensuring their own officials don’t become walking liabilities. Noem’s cavalier attitude, from carrying thousands in cash to sporting luxury watches during official duties, clashes with the administration’s “America First” rhetoric, making her appear out of touch with the everyday Americans Trump claims to champion. If this is the leadership tasked with deporting millions and securing the nation, the administration’s priorities seem more aligned with theatrics than results—a damning reflection of its governance.