Kristi Noem riled up White House officials by referring to meetings she led at the Department of Homeland Security as “cabinet meetings,” according to a report.
Noem, dubbed “Ice Barbie” for her love of cosplaying in uniform roles, seemed to be playing presidential dress-up by referring to internal DHS meetings with subagency heads by the same name as high-level gatherings between the commander-in-chief and top Cabinet officials.
Donald Trump’s aides viewed Noem’s labeling of her DHS get-togethers as meetings of her “cabinet” as a troubling sign that the homeland security secretary was more focused on her own presidential ambitions than on advancing the administration’s message, sources told The Wall Street Journal.
Trump was also reportedly “annoyed” after Noem set aside $200 million from the department’s budget to fund an ad campaign—in which she herself starred—warning immigrants in the country illegally to “leave now.”
The president asked White House staff where Noem had secured the funding for the ads, with insiders telling the Journal they believed the campaign was another signal she was laying the groundwork for a future presidential run.
Why would the Administration be upset that she is planning a Presidential run?
Unless they already have plans either to steamroll a Trump 3rd term, or have something like Don Jr. run on a transparent platform of “Vote for me, get my dad too”.
Or, maybe it’s the fact that there’s only so far a woman can go in MAGA. So they’re really more upset that she might aspire to being more than a Secretary…