Kristi Noem’s latest video flops spectacularly as backlash erupts — and people are wondering if ICE training involves acting lessons now
A video currently circulating on social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), featuring United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, has drawn significant scrutiny from netizens simply for its content. Why, you ask? Because the video, if not completely, at least to an extent, highlights Noem’s incompetence for her current role, something the Democrats have been saying for a long time, and now even some Republicans are also saying.
In a viral video that first surfaced in 2025 and has since gained traction owing to the current political climate, Kristi Noem is seen posing with a rifle alongside 2 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, one of whom is also holding a gun. While there is nothing wrong with Noem holding a rifle, it is how she is holding it that has sparked debate. In the video, Noem is pointing her rifle towards the officer on her left, with the nozzle directed towards his face. Not only that, but her fingers also seem to be on the trigger. Many people who have watched the video have scrutinised Noem for her handling of the rifle, saying it reflects poorly on her role as the Secretary of Homeland Security, and have questioned the training of the ICE agents with Noem in charge. Others have resorted to comedy, spotlighting the facial expressions of the individual, Brian, who is visibly scared while Noem is pointing her rifle at him. Many swapped Brian’s face with that of a dog, shading Noem for her previous incident of shooting and killing her pet dog.
What happened to Kristi Noem’s dog that has people talking?
In case you didn’t know, in her 2024 memoir, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong With Politics and How We Move America Forward, Kristi Noem openly admitted to shooting and killing her 14-month-old wirehair pointer dog named Cricket. According to an article published by The Guardian on April 26, 2024, Noem cited the reasons for her drastic step, noting that she was “untrainable” and “dangerous”. The piece also reported that after Noem had decided to put her dog down, she led her to a gravel pit and shot her. She said in her memoir, “It was not a pleasant job, but it had to be done.” She faced massive backlash for her revelations at the time, including from animal rights activist groups, who heavily condemned her actions. Many believe the controversy surrounding this incident is what got her out of the Vice Presidential race under the Trump administration.
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