Kristi Noem mocked as she rides camel in Middle East

Daily Mail​

26-05-2025

By
Donald Trump 's Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was trolled after she was spotted riding a camel during her recent trip to the Middle East. She went full-on 'ICE Barbie', decked out in a headscarf and sunglasses, as she rode the large animal while touring the historic Qal'at al-Bahrain Fort on Sunday. Her well-documented trip and photo-op sparked frustration online as users questioned her motives amidst recent backlash for her past trips and 'cosplay' moments.
'And at taxpayer expense, no doubt,' one said of her recent image. 'I feel sorry for the Camel,' another jokingly wrote. 'That's all it is for her- a photo op,' someone else commented. 'Why is @KristiNoem cosplaying with camels! What is her goal in this visit,' another chimed in. Another simply asked: 'Why is the director of Homeland security riding a camel in the Middle East? How does that help America?'
A user even brought up her rocky past with animals, referring to Noem openly admitting and defending herself for shooting her 14-month-old puppy Cricket. 'She's going to shoot a camel, isn't she? She already has taken out a puppy, a goat and 3 horses, so why not?,' they said. While she was there Noem also held a meeting with the county's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Sakhir Royal Palace in Manama.
Noem was also pictured driving a boat at Naval Support Activity in Manama, Bahrain and serving meals to sailors and coast guardsmen. She also traveled to Israel, where she met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While in Israel, Noem stopped to place a note and bow her head on the Western Wall - a holy site where Jews go to pray in Jerusalem. Her recent trip comes just days after she told a bunch of illegal migrants they can 'suck it', sparking a liberal meltdown.
Noem's comment came after the migrants' lawsuit against the Homeland Security chief was voluntarily dropped. The suit was filed by the ACLU on behalf of ten detained migrants who the Trump administration were preparing to send to the infamous terrorist detention center in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The ACLU dropped the filing because several plaintiffs were already deported while others refused to keep the case going.
That's when Noem - who has been dubbed 'ICE Barbie' for her garish wardrobe changes - delivered her savage two-word response. 'Suck it,' Noem posted along with the notice of voluntary dismissal. And just days before her X-rated response, she made an embarrassing mistake at a congressional hearing that quickly went viral. During the hearing, she appeared not to know the meaning of 'habeas corpus' after she gave a completely inaccurate definition for the key constitutional principle.
The mistake came after Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) asked Noem to explain habeas corpus, which is the right of a person to challenge their detention in court. It protects individuals from being held in custody without a valid legal reason – even if they are not an American citizen. 'Secretary Noem, what is habeas corpus?' Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) asked the DHS Secretary.
'Secretary Noem was right: Presidents have suspended habeas corpus in practice—Lincoln, Grant, FDR, and Bush—all during moments of crisis,' DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin later told the Daily Mail when asked about the interaction. She added: 'Technically, Congress holds that power under the Constitution, but in reality, presidents have acted first, and legal authority followed. The precedent is real.' However, social media critics jumped on the flub.