Politics

DHS Marks ICE Barbie’s 200 Days With Bizarre Sizzle Reel

COSPLAY CZAR

The clip, which barrels through a dizzying montage of Kristi Noem’s cosplay stunts, does little to shake her reputation for theatrics.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem gives a thumbs-up as she rides a horse during her visit to the Campo De Mayo Military Base in San Miguel, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, on July 28, 2025. Noem is on a diplomatic tour of several South American countries, with stops planned in Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador. (Photo by Alex Brandon / POOL / AFP)
Alex Brandon/Getty Images

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s much-ridiculed photo-glam obsession shows no signs of slowing.

The DHS’ official X account posted a surreal glam shot sizzle reel Thursday, compiling “ICE Barbie” Noem’s endless photo ops.

The thirty-second clip barrels through a dizzying montage of images: Noem galloping on horseback, Noem posing with ICE agents, Noem basking in the Fox News spotlight.

“Can’t Stop”—the hit song by the anti-Trump Red Hot Chili Peppers—swells in the background as a running counter ticks from 1 to 200, tracking the secretary’s first six and a half months on the job.

The caption proclaims that during Noem’s first 200 days, “DHS has been hard at work delivering on President Trump’s promise of making America safe again.”

The reel does little to dispel Noem’s “ICE Barbie” reputation, a nickname she earned for her love of dolling up and inviting the press to photograph her cosplaying as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, or standing in front of detained migrants behind bars, among other bizarre publicity stunts.

Kristi Noem wears full firefighting gear for an exercise with the U.S. Coast Guard.
Kristi Noem wears full firefighting gear for an exercise with the U.S. Coast Guard. Alex Brandon/REUTERS

The former South Dakota Governor was brutally mocked on South Park’s latest episode, which portrayed her as an over-Botoxed ICE agent forever striking camera-ready poses and arresting anyone who’s Latino.

At the helm of DHS, Noem has devoted herself to carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation effort—something Fox News headlines highlighted in the reel, like “Noem and ICE Snatch Up Illegals,” drive home.

But the montage also lingers on moments that seem far removed from the actual duties of her job.

One of the longest clips is taken from her trip to an Argentinian army base last month, where the former rancher rode a horse while wearing a cowboy hat, jeans, oversized belt buckle, and full hair and makeup.

Another clip is taken from her infamous promo at a Salvadoran megaprison in March, where she filmed herself talking to a camera right in front of a crowded prison cell as its occupants looked on toward her.

Kristi Noem participates in a ship assault demonstration on board the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Elm.
Kristi Noem participates in a ship assault demonstration on board the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Elm. Alex Brandon/Getty Images

The Trump administration deported hundreds of migrants it said were linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to the prison, though it later emerged that the vast majority had no gang ties or criminal records.

It’s unlikely the Red Hot Chili Peppers are thrilled to have their song soundtracking Noem’s sizzle reel.

In 2016, bassist Flea and singer Anthony Kiedis slammed Trump’s remarks on Muslims and race, with Flea calling the idea of his presidency “terrifying.” They endorsed Bernie Sanders instead.

The Daily Beast has reached out to the band to clarify whether they approved the use of “Can’t Stop” in the video.

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