Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, sparked outrage and concern online after posting a video where she held an assault rifle with the muzzle aimed at the head of a law enforcement officer.
In the video, Noem introduced officers “Michael” and “Brian,” writing, “Human traffickers. Drug Smugglers. 18th Street Gang members. Spent the morning in Phoenix with our brave @ICEgov and Arizona law enforcement arresting these dirtbags and getting them off of our streets.”
The video quickly drew backlash, especially from military veterans. One veteran shared the video with a cringing face emoji, commenting, “Ummmmm…” Another questioned, “Just why is she holding a weapon she isn’t authorized to have?” A third person added, “You probably shouldn’t hold that or at least know what you’re doing.”
David Fitzpatrick, a political analyst, expressed concern over Noem’s gun handling, writing, “Great, okay but could we at least practice better gun safety measures for a photo op? I appreciate the work, the collaboration, the optics, but gun handling is a pet peeve of mine. Muzzle down, or pointed in a safe position loaded or unloaded – unless engaging a target.”
J.D. Luckenbach, a liberal influencer, also criticized the display, saying, “Kristi has the weapon pointed at the officer’s head. Her always playing dress-up is going to get somebody killed.”
The reaction didn’t stop there. Podcaster Good Morning Liberty mocked the moment, saying, “Perfect form. 100% natural. Great job media team.” Rasmussen Reports also chimed in, saying, “This looks ridiculous and like you pulled rank on the officers to hold a big gun.”
The video sparked even more comments about Noem’s handling of the weapon. One user, @War4theWest, wrote, “Her gun is pointed right at the agent’s head. She doesn’t know what ‘high ready’ is and as such should not be handling the weapon. She’s the worst pick by Trump. Is this all she does?”
Others voiced their frustration with the photo ops, with one user saying, “What is with these goofy photo ops? Just give us updates. You don’t need to be wearing a vest and holding a rifle to let us know what’s going on. It just makes you look ridiculous.”
Another user, confused by the trend, asked, “I used to like your channel, why are you so retarded now? What happened?”
One commenter criticized her form, stating, “1. That’s not how you hold a rifle. 2. That’s not how you wear a vest.”
Another summed up the general frustration, writing, “Can’t anyone in this entire administration just stop with the silly, performative photo ops? You’re not fooling anyone into thinking you’re personally out there kicking doors or making arrests. It just looks silly, plus it’s a general waste of time and energy.”
Watch the video below:
Human traffickers. Drug Smugglers. 18th Street Gang members. Spent the morning in Phoenix with our brave @ICEgov and Arizona law enforcement arresting these dirtbags and getting them off of our streets. pic.twitter.com/yH13jWwF1S
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) April 8, 2025
