Ousted DHS chief Kristi Noem attended a Friday ceremony unveiling a bronze statue honoring her 2019–2025 governorship, appearing with family while her husband was absent. The statue depicts Noem alongside a horse and comes after her removal from the DHS post amid scrutiny over a $220 million ad campaign and criticism of her oversight of ICE arrests. Noem was seen days earlier with Corey Lewandowski near Wayzata, Minnesota — a community recently affected by federal immigration operations. Social media quickly seized on the unveiling, with posts referencing an episode Noem describes in her memoir about a fatal dog shooting.
Kristi Noem Attends Bronze Statue Unveiling Amid Post-Dismissal Controversy
Kristi Noem takes out her bronze horse in twisted post on X. / Robert Norton/X
Ousted Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem attended the unveiling of a bronze statue on Friday honoring her South Dakota governorship (2019–2025), just days after she and rumored partner Corey Lewandowski were photographed near Wayzata, Minnesota — a community recently affected by federal immigration operations.
Noem arrived with family members and appeared to be one of the few attendees at the ceremony; her husband, Bryon Noem, was not present. The monument features two bronze figures: a likeness of Noem and a horse, with the bronze Noem depicted wearing a cowgirl hat.
Background: Noem was removed from her DHS post in March amid scrutiny over a $220 million self-promotional ad campaign and criticism of her oversight of controversial ICE arrests. She was succeeded as head of homeland security by Senator Markwayne Mullin and was later named Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a multinational security initiative established during the same period.
Noem has continued public appearances since her removal. She and her former chief aide, Corey Lewandowski, were seen biking and socializing in Wayzata, roughly nine miles west of Minneapolis — an area where two residents were killed by federal immigration agents during a period some critics described as a campaign of fear directed at locals and protesters.
Public Reaction
Social media users reacted quickly to the statue unveiling. One post on X (formerly Twitter) depicted Noem firing at the bronze animal beside her, this time shown as a dog — an allusion to an episode she recounts in her memoir No Going Back, in which she describes fatally shooting her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer after the dog attacked a chicken.
The statue event and surrounding appearances have reignited debate over Noem's record and public image, drawing responses from supporters and critics alike.
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