Newly fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been accused of hypocrisy after declaring that airport workers and travelers were paying “the highest political price” for a partial government shutdown she blames on Democrats.
The cosplay-loving former governor—who spent hundreds of millions of dollars on luxury jets and self-promoting ad campaigns—took to social media on Monday morning as a funding impasse over the Department of Homeland Security continued to cause chaos at airports around the country.
“It is high time for the Democrats to end the DHS shutdown,” she wrote. “@TSA officers missed their most recent paycheck on Friday as a result of the Democrats’ DHS shutdown—for the THIRD time in nearly six months.
“As Americans across the nation face hours-long wait times at airports, Democrats continue to play political games while @TSA officers and travelers pay the highest price.”
But critics quickly pushed back, pointing to Noem’s controversial tenure with the department before she was sacked by Donald Trump earlier this month.
“How long could we have paid the TSA agents with the $250,000,000.00 you stole for your shitty ad?” asked one social media user.
This was a reference to the $200 million-plus ad Noem shot on horseback in Mount Rushmore, dressed in chaps and a cowboy hat, which she claimed was necessary to tackle illegal immigration.
“Shouldn’t you and Corey be busy using the sex plane while you still have it?” quipped another observer, in reference to her alleged lover Corey Lewandowski and a luxury jet with a private bedroom they allegedly used to fly around the country.
Others asked why Noem was commenting at all.
“Why are you posting as Secretary? YOU WERE FIRED,” wrote a user on X.
While Noem was fired earlier this month, she technically remains in the position until March 31.
After that, she will take on a new role Trump created to soften the blow: Special Envoy for “the Shield of the Americas,” where Noem will work with Latin American leaders to bolster America’s dominance in the western hemisphere.
Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin was handpicked by Trump to replace Noem, but still requires confirmation by the Senate.
In the meantime, a partial government shutdown has disrupted airports across the nation.
The impasse began after Congress failed to reach a spending agreement last month, leading to a lapse in funding for agencies like FEMA, TSA, and ICE, with partisan disagreements holding up a resolution.
As a result, tens of thousands of federal employees deemed essential—including TSA officers—have been required to keep working without pay.
This has led to reports of long security lines at major airports, with some passengers waiting hours to pass through checkpoints.
With TSA employees missing paychecks and many working while dealing with financial strain, officials say increasing numbers of screeners are calling out sick or taking leave, reducing staffing at security checkpoints.
More than 300 TSA officers have reportedly quit since the shutdown began, further exacerbating delays just as spring break travel ramps up.
Airline executives and aviation groups have urged Congress to resolve the standoff quickly, warning that airport disruptions could worsen as millions of Americans travel in the coming weeks.
House Democrats are set to launch a discharge petition this week to force a vote on funding for TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard, CISA and the parts of the DHS not including ICE in the House.
“I urge all members to join us as we press Republicans for an up-or-down vote on legislation to protect our hardworking federal civil servants,” a Democrat leader said in a letter to colleagues on Monday.
“At the same time, House Democrats will continue to demand changes to ICE that are bold, meaningful and transformational. Immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, just and humane. That is not what is happening right now.”
