Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s carefully crafted image as a tough woman has taken a hit.
In the aftermath of deadly flooding in Texas over the July 4 holiday that claimed 137 lives, Noem faced criticism from Ken Pagurek, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) urban search-and-rescue division, who quit in protest over a 72-hour delay responding to the crisis that he blamed on her budget-slashing “restructuring.”
It appears Texas officials responding to the disaster on the ground were no fans of the Homeland Security secretary, either, according to text messages obtained by local news station KSAT.
As rescuers pulled bodies from the Guadalupe River, Noem toured the area and held a press conference on July 5.
After the media event, a local government staffer texted Kerville City Manager Dalton Rice—who appeared standing behind Noem on television—to say, “Just saw you met Homeland Barbi, how is she?!?!?!” according to KSAT.
Rice responded via text, “Beahahaha basically homeland Barbie.”
The Daily Beast first gave the 53-year-old the moniker of “ICE Barbie” for her love of dolling up and inviting the press to photograph her cosplaying an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, or standing in front of detained migrants behind bars, among other bizarre publicity stunts.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Daily Beast: “Dalton Rice should focus on doing his job and taking care of his community through this horrific situation. Personal attacks undermine our ability to unify and respond to the needs of families in the state of Texas.”
But the former South Dakota governor has faced withering criticism for her response to the Texas floods. Under Noem’s tenure, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)–which is part of DHS–fired hundreds of contractors at call centers in the lead-up to the disaster.
A report from The New York Times then found that FEMA failed to answer “nearly two thirds” of distress calls from victims. What’s more, a new rule requiring all grants and contracts over $100,000 to be signed by the secretary delayed the deployment of search and rescue crews by 72 hours.
Noem has denied both stories.
The editorial board of the Houston Chronicle took Noem to task in a scathing op-ed, saying the delay was the result of “self-imposed red tape” and likened her to FEMA’s Katrina-era director Michael Brown. “Leaving disaster victims on hold isn’t governmental efficiency,” the board wrote. “It’s heartless.”
Reached for comment, Kerrville County’s Joint Information Center told KSAT via email Monday: “At this time, all personnel are still involved in Emergency Operations Center functions and are unavailable for an interview.”
The Daily Beast has also contacted Kerrville’s City Manager’s Office for comment, but has not received a response.
