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Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk also weighed in with a brief yet powerful message:
“Pray for Kristi.”
This wave of support comes just days after a heated confrontation in California where tensions between Noem and Democrats reached a boiling point. During a recent press event, Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) attempted to confront Noem over her immigration enforcement policies. But before he could get close, Secret Service agents tackled and handcuffed him, mistaking him for a threat.
Padilla later told the story from the Senate floor in a dramatic speech, accusing the agents of excessive force. However, Homeland Security officials defended the response, calling Padilla’s stunt “disrespectful political theater.” In the wake of a recent political assassination in Minnesota, Noem supporters praised the agents’ quick actions as entirely justified.
Homeland Security later issued a statement explaining the agents’ reaction:
“They thought he was an attacker.”
Noem herself addressed the incident in an interview with Fox LA. While she acknowledged having a “great” conversation with Padilla afterward, she didn’t mince words about his behavior.
“Something that I don’t think was appropriate at all,” she remarked.
Secretary Noem has long been a favorite in conservative circles. Before taking the helm at Homeland Security, she served as governor of South Dakota and represented her state in Congress. She has been an outspoken backer of former President Donald Trump and reportedly asked for the DHS role because it aligns closely with Trump’s America First agenda.
Adding to her recent string of challenges, Noem was the victim of a high-profile theft earlier this year. On Easter Sunday, while out with her family in Washington, D.C., her luxury purse was stolen right out from under her nose at a Capital Burger restaurant.
The stolen bag contained roughly $3,000 in cash, her passport, keys, driver’s license, and Homeland Security badge. DHS later explained the cash was meant for Easter dinner and gifts for her family. Authorities quickly tracked down one suspect—an illegal migrant—who was arrested and charged in federal court with robbery, identity theft, and fraud.
However, a second suspect, also an illegal immigrant, is reportedly still on the run.
In just the past few months, Secretary Noem has faced medical emergencies, public confrontations, and personal violations. But if her supporters are any indication, she’s far from alone. As LeVell put it, Americans across the country are “standing strong for her, just as she’s stood strong for America.”
