Right-wing political commentator Megyn Kelly lambasted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent “cosplay” during recent trips to the border.
On her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly praised Noem’s performance as head of the Department of Homeland Security—but blasted her for what she called over-the-top photo ops, where Noem is seen dressed like an ICE agent.
Kelly didn’t stop there. She called Noem’s tactical gear stunts unnecessary and distracting.
“Why does she have to keep doing this? She’s doing a great job… just stop trying to glamorize the mission and put yourself in the middle of it as you cosplay ICE agent, which you’re not,” Kelly said. “I can’t stand these photo-ops.”
“She is an administrative policy person appointed by Trump because she was very loyal to him. Fine, but stop with the glam. She looks like I look right now, but she’s out in the field with her gun, being like, ‘We’re gonna go kick some a‑‑.’ No one wants you there,” Kelly added.
Noem, however, brushed off the criticism. Speaking on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime, she said the agents she visits are actually supportive of her gear.
“Every day I wake up and there’s new criticisms. It’s something different every single day, so I try not to pay attention to the noise,” Noem said. “Obviously I’m guided by the folks that I work with every day to be appropriate for the situation that I’m in and to take the same that precautions they do.”
She also defended her choice to wear ICE and HSI gear during visits with border agents.
“They are so proud of the fact that I’m willing to wear an ICE hat… and be proud of them and the work that they do,” she told Watters. “They didn’t have that with the last leadership team.”
But Noem is getting heat from more than just Kelly. Earlier this week, Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, a Marine veteran, slammed Noem for how she handled a rifle in a photo taken during a border visit.
“1. Close your ejection port. 2. If you have no rounds in the chamber why do you have a magazine inserted? 3. If you have rounds in the chamber or in the magazine why are you flagging the guy next to you,” Gallego posted, also calling on her to “stop deporting people without due process.”
Watch the segment below:
