John Oliver trashed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in his return to TV Sunday night.
Oliver began his 13th season of Last Week Tonight by highlighting a list of Noem’s failures in the job, while accusing the 54-year-old of having zero charisma and of being obsessed with her own image.
Noem has come under heavy fire for her role in ICE’s unpopular occupation of multiple US cities. In January, two Minneapolis citizens were killed by ICE agents, sparking major protests nationwide.
Oliver highlighted “hints” that Noem was a bad choice from the beginning, including reminding viewers of the 2024 controversy in which she admitted to shooting her own dog in her memoir, a revelation that allegedly destroyed her chances of becoming Trump’s running mate.
“Even Trump, who has been endowed by Satan with an ability to survive any bad press whatsoever, somehow knew that picking a VP who bragged about speedrunning Old Yeller is a bad move,” Oliver joked.
Kristi Noem participates in a firefighting drill with a training helicopter during a tour of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Kodiak, Alaska, U.S., March 17, 2025. Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS
Crucially, Oliver adds, Noem was ill-prepared for the role. “She’d never worked in DHS or indeed law enforcement, but as a foreshadowing of things to come, as governor of South Dakota, she was a relentless promoter.”
A montage of old campaign ads starring Noem played, including her dressing up as a dentist, nurse, electrician, plumber, and construction worker.
Kristi Noem is guided by a member of Maritime Security Response Team West in San Diego, Calif., March 16, 2025. Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Sappey/USCG
Noem is famous for her cosplay and has been dubbed “ICE Barbie” due to her history of wearing purely decorative military uniforms.
She has posted photos of herself supposedly flying a military aircraft, helping firefighters during a drill, and piloting a U.S. Coast Guard boat.
The constant wardrobe changes have been decried by prominent Democrats as both a waste of time and a sign of insecurity of Noem’s part. Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell of California said about Noem in May 2024, “I don‘t need to wear costumes to show how tough I am.”
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem helps to fly an HC-130J during a photo opp over Alaska. Pool/AFP via Getty Images
On Sunday, Oliver showed a 2024 video where Noem dressed up as a construction worker, mocking her unconvincing line delivery.
“I know her performance is pretty flat there, but in her defense, who’s going to tell her that she can’t act? Not anyone who likes their dog, that’s for sure,” said Oliver.
Last Week Tonight, John Oliver on Kristi Noem HBO
Echoing South Park‘s November critique of the DHS chief, Oliver laid into Noem particularly hard for her apparent prioritization of social media views over actual policy results.
“If it seems like she’s got cameras with her wherever she goes, it’s because she basically does,” Oliver said.
He shared with viewers the story of two peaceful anti-ICE protestors, Kyle Frankovich and Juan Munoz, who in October were arrested without charges outside of an immigration detention facility in Chicago.
Last Week Tonight showing clip from CBS News Chicago, Homeland Security posting on X about allegedly violent activists. HBO
“Despite being labeled violent activists, they were never charged with anything,” Oliver said.
He added, “So it seems they were arrested just for a photo op for Kristi Noem. Which is, if I may quote her own dog’s dying words, ‘rough!’”
The criticism of Noem comes amid a major reversal in public sentiments on ICE, with a January Economist-YouGov poll showing that 46 percent of Americans support abolishing the agency in the wake of the violence in Minneapolis.
Oliver echoed those sentiments, finishing the episode by declaring, “We need to get rid of ICE, period.”
He added, “Public trust in it right now is hovering somewhere between the Purdue Pharma and the Titan submersible. It is just not salvageable.”
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