Kristi Noem Strokes Donald Trump's Ego With Her Most Outlandish Sucking Up Display Yet

Donald Trump's ego is notoriously fragile, with him appearing to be desperate for applause and praise from those around him. Those who've stayed close to him have certainly noticed that. And either because they genuinely like him or because they want to keep their positions of power, Trump's cabinet is often overly effusive in their praise of him. Just look at the comments from Kristi Noem, secretary of Homeland Security, at the Cabinet meeting on December 2. 

Noem started by speaking about her department's work in managing immigration and deportations. Noem's controversial actions have led to her being skewered on "South Park." And then when talking about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), she said (via X): "Sir, you made it through hurricane season without a hurricane. Even you kept the hurricanes away. We appreciate that."

Trump chuckled, as did others at the table, but even if it was a joke, it seems pretty clear that he liked that line. And that Noem knew just the right thing to say to keep her boss happy. Yet, it horrified the rest of us.

Even if Kristi Noem's thanking Donald Trump for keeping hurricanes away was meant as a lighthearted quip, it had social media blowing up. One person on X (formerly known as Twitter) said, "She seems to have confused Trump with Jesus." Another posted, "Next she'll thank him for keeping the Earth in orbit."

One person gave an example of just how over the top Noem sounded. "Congratulations, sir. With your mystical powers and big words, you've accomplished the impossible. Grown men will kiss your feet with tears in their eyes as they gently caress your fine leather shoes and promise to name their firstborn children after you," via X. Trump does love having his name on things.

Noem also knew she'd score some points by calling Trump critic and Minnesota governor Tim Walz a "whacko," via X. Trump loves a nickname for his political opponents. What Noem didn't mention during the Cabinet meeting was FEMA's response to the July 2025 floods in Texas, which some felt took too long and didn't do enough. Nor did she mention that ICE has detained American citizens as it's worked to enact Trump's campaign promise of mass deportations.