Gavin Newsom could barely contain his excitement after President Donald Trump announced Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was being booted from her job.
“Goodbye Kristi Noem! You will go down in history as the most brazenly incompetent and cruel Secretary of Homeland Security in United States history,” the California governor wrote on X shortly after the president announced Noem would be leaving her post at the end of the month.
The Trump-trolling governor then turned up the heat on his official press account, where he shared an AI-generated image of Noem sporting a cowboy hat while waiting in a “MAGA Unemployment Line.”
Then, Newsom’s press team shared an AI-generated photo of a smiling puppy holding a newspaper headlined “Trump Fires Kristi Noem.”
“Justice for Cricket!” the photo is captioned, referencing the former South Dakota governor’s dog that she, by her own admission, shot to death.
Next, Newsom’s staffers shared a collage of Noem—who was nicknamed “ICE Barbie” by the Daily Beast for a series of cosplaying appearances in different getups—and her most notable wardrobe staples: full makeup, curled hair, cowboy hats, and bulletproof vests, alongside an AI-generated image of her holding a cardboard sign that reads “JUST FIRED!”
“NEW KRISTI JUST DROPPED!” the post is captioned.
Trump announced he was replacing Noem with MAGA Senator Markwayne Mullin on Truth Social Thursday afternoon. Noem, 54, has come under fire for her spending behavior and an alleged affair with her top adviser, Corey Lewandowski, dubbed as D.C.’s “worst-kept secret.”
“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026,” Trump, 79, wrote.
Trump then appointed Noem to a newly-created position.
“The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida,” he added.
Noem is the first Cabinet member from Trump’s second term to be axed amid escalating criticism of her leadership. The former governor was grilled by members of Congress on Wednesday and was backed into a corner over her alleged affair, her handling of Federal Emergency Management Agency funding, and her lavish spending on glitzy ad campaigns, luxury jet travel, and more.
She drew widespread condemnation for refusing to apologize for accusing slain Minnesota protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, of domestic terrorism. After being pressed by Sen. Dick Durbin, Noem merely responded: “These are tragic situations, and I can’t imagine what these families go through and losing a loved one.”
Noem and Newsom have a long history of publicly baiting each other. The California governor has repeatedly called for her resignation, while Noem made disputed claims that her officers discovered so-called fraud in California and warned, “We’re going to come to you, Governor Gavin Newsom.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and a representative for Newsom for comment.
