The Most Brutal Nicknames Kristi Noem Has Ever Been Called (& They Lowkey Check Out)

Even before she was picked as President Donald Trump's controversial new Secretary of Homeland Security, Former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was a contentious figure. Between those affair rumors we just can't ignore and the bizarre drama between Noem and country music star Reba McEntire, the politician is no stranger to unsavory headlines. That being said, some of Secretary Noem's most controversial actions have earned her some fairly brutal nicknames. And, to be frank, some of them are pretty spot-on.

For starters, Noem has gained a reputation for putting on different outfits to pose for photos with immigration officers and caking her face in makeup for similar photo-ops in front of detainees. As a result, she's earned the nickname "ICE Barbie." Numerous people have called out the Trump staffer, including Meghan McCain, who argued, "I don't think that it is productive to have a full face of hair and makeup, and hair extensions [...] when you're doing things like that," on "Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain" in April 2025.

She continued, "If I were giving her some advice, I would be like, 'How about pulling our hair back in a baseball cap, and not doing a photo-op, just doing our job right now, and not turning it into a social media spectacle?'" The outspoken daughter of the late John McCain also discussed how people on both sides of the political aisle had taken issue with Noem's approach. On that note, The Wall Street Journal reported that very same month that such frustrations were prevalent among some of her own Homeland Security colleagues.

Kristi Noem's most controversial moment, prior to her joining the Trump administration, came in 2024, when she admitted to shooting and killing a 14-month-old dog in her book "No Going Back," rationalizing that the poor animal was "untrainable." This led many commentators to compare the then-Governor of South Dakota to Cruella de Vil, the villain of the classic Disney film "101 Dalmatians," whose evil plan is to have a group of puppies killed so she can turn them into a stylish coat. 

During an appearance on MSNBC, George W. Bush's former political strategist Matthew Dowd specifically dubbed Noem "Cruella de Vil from the Dakotas," warning viewers not to "take Dalmatians to South Dakota any time soon." Amid the scandal, many social media users also compared the divisive politician to former NFL player Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge pertaining to his involvement in an illegal dogfighting ring back in 2007. And while some made irreverent jokes about the connection, others were far more serious in their analysis.

 "Michael Vick went to prison for what Kristi Noem did," lawyer Tristan Snell wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Indeed, the former pro-athlete spent almost two years behind bars following his conviction, while Noem was openly campaigning to be Trump's running mate when her own animal cruelty story went public. The governor defended her actions in her own post on X towards the end of April 2024, chalking up the shocking decision to the realities of ranch life and citing state law.