Kristi Noem's Embarrassing Filter Flub Will Haunt Her Forever

By Erick Massoto
image of Kristi Noem in front of a microphone during a government event Pool/Getty Images

Everyone has the right to tweak their photos when they feel they don't really look their best. However, it looks like Kristi Noem hasn't really mastered the art of posting a touched-up photo on social media. The Secretary of Homeland Security decided to publish a photo of herself holding her granddaughter, and people might have ignored it if not for two reasons. First, she applied the filter to the whole photo, meaning that even the baby got a tweak it didn't need. If that wasn't bad enough, Noem also posted the original picture without any filters by accident.

In the post, Noem celebrated an afternoon spent with her family and President Donald Trump — maybe in an effort to quash the rumors that she is leaving Trump's admin — and thanked the POTUS "for being so generous" with his time. Some of Noem's wrinkles are clearly visible in the first photo, but she has a softer appearance in the second photo — and so does the baby.

The mistake may have happened when Noem did a photo dump on Threads and probably forgot to eliminate the untouched photo of the batch. Other photos also included her whole family inside the Oval Office and around the White House; Trump talking to a group of people and playing with a White House model; and a video of Noem herself walking down the outside of the building. X users were quick to point out the obvious use of filters, with many taking personal shots at Noem. "There's no filter that would make Kristi Noem look less 'died ten years ago, but the spare parts keep her up,'" wrote one person on X.

Noem's attempts at looking younger may not save her

image of Kristi Noem at a public event with a security guard behind her Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images

This isn't the first time that Kristi Noem has obviously attempted to mask her true age, possibly in an attempt to stay in the good graces of appearance-obsessed Donald Trump. We can't forget the heavily filtered video she posted on Instagram to announce she was readily available for a debate or even arm wrestle against entrepreneur Mark Cuban. Ironically, Noem often doesn't seem to realize that her outdated fashion trends (hoop earrings, hair extensions, cakey makeup) actually do nothing to convey a younger vibe. 

Unlike Noem's typically inappropriate outfits and tendency to cosplay, she wore an actually delightful Christmastime outfit to the event, and seemed pretty happy to share the space with Donald Trump and others. The American people, though, seemed less delightful. When they weren't criticizing her appearance in the comments section, they were expressing anger about her tenure as the Secretary of Homeland Security. As one person commented on Threads, "No children needed to be ripped from their parent's arms? No brown people sent to countries where they've never lived & don't speak the language? Go to hell, kristi. May you have the Christmas you so richly deserve."

One person on X reminded people to focus on what actually matters, not Noem's photo filters, writing, "Kristi Noem misappropriated millions in public funds that she used for personal gain. Stay on topic." Noem is being accused by Illinois Democrat Representative Delia Ramirez and others of misusing the budget allocated to the Department of Homeland Security, of ignoring court orders, and of deporting American citizens. As such, this may be one of Noem's last pictures in the White House.

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