ICE Barbie Has Male Competition as MAGA FBI Boss Plays Dress-Up
The director of the FBI shared his surprise outfit of the day on social media.

Screenshot/X/Kash Patel
The F in FBI apparently now stands for fashion.
In a series of photos posted to his X account Sunday, the bureau’s new director, Kash Patel, flexed a new look while joining his agents for an apparent field exercise.
Rather than dressing in his usual suit and tie, Patel instead opted for a camouflage vest, gray windbreaker, large gray sunglasses and matching camouflage baseball hat.
I am 1000% behind this FBI pic.twitter.com/SDxPvrotV7
— Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) March 9, 2025
“I am 1000% behind this FBI,” he captioned the photo set.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s unclear where Patel was in the photos.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The outing seemed to fit with Patel’s stated goal of injecting some more masculine energy into the bureau. One of his premier initiatives is a planned partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to increase employees’ physical fitness.
His game of dress-up also evoked the outfit choices of another member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has shown up at a number of field operations, and even on Fox News, in a branded bulletproof vest.
The fashion choices—often accompanied with full makeup and an apparent fresh blowout—have earned her the nickname “ICE Barbie.”

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem tags along on an ICE raid last month in New York City.
Handout/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Handout
The former South Dakota governor first scored the moniker in January after she glammed up for a photo-op in New York City, which also happened to be the first major deportation raids since Donald Trump returned to office.
The 53-year-old later earned herself a second moniker, “Cosplay Kristi,” after she donned a giant cowboy hat for a segment on NBC’s Meet the Press.
Cosplay Kristi is at it again on Meet the Press pic.twitter.com/y8PcxHbk7y
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 2, 2025
She also last week tagged along with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for a series of raids targeting gang members and sex criminals in Virginia, donning full tactical gear while participating in the show of force.
We will not be deterred by leaks. If you come to this country and break our laws, we will hunt you down.
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 4, 2025
Successful enforcement operation this morning—getting MS-13 members, 18th Street gang members and perpetrators of sexual crimes off our streets. pic.twitter.com/67iqcFJw6x
The outfit choices reflect a key reality of working for Trump—who has long been overtly concerned with how his subordinates appear on TV. The president often talks about how much he appreciates employees who appear “out of central casting”—something that Noem and Patel appear to believe will include their outfit choices.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.