‘Cosplay ICE Agent’: Megyn Kelly Says One Distraction Undermines Noem’s ‘Great Job’ As DHS Secretary

SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly said Wednesday on her podcast that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s “photo ops” during deportation arrests are distracting from the “great job” she’s doing at the department.

Noem led a multi-agency task force — including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Phoenix immigration agents — on Tuesday morning to arrest three illegal migrants with alleged criminal histories, according to the New York Post. On “The Megyn Kelly Show,” the SiriusXM host questioned Noem’s decision to keep posting videos and photos while participating in the raids.

“Can we talk about Kristi Noem and these ridiculous photo ops? Why does she have to keep doing this? She’s doing a great job. Her actual performance as DHS secretary, in my view anyway, has been amazing,” Kelly said. “Just stop trying to glamorize the mission and put yourself in the middle of it as you cosplay ICE agent, which you’re not!”

“I can’t stand these photo ops, you guys. I think they diminish ICE. They diminish DHS, CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection],” Kelly added. “She’s not an agent. She is an administrative policy person appointed by Trump because she was very loyal to him. Fine, but stop with the glam.”

Since being sworn in as DHS secretary, Noem has regularly joined ICE and CBP operations at the southern border, often sharing videos and photos from the arrests on her social media account. During Tuesday’s operation, Noem had to dodge a kick from one of the illegal migrants as he attempted to block a camera with his shoe while she questioned him, according to the Post. (RELATED: Kristi Noem Says Photo Of Her At El Salvador Prison Sends A Message)

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Kelly went on to say that while the secretary may be in charge of the DHS, the arrests and raids would be “much safer” if she had “nothing to do with it,” highlighting how Noem was almost hurt.

“She looks like [how] I look right now, but she’s out in the field with her gun being like, ‘We’re going to go kick some ass!’ No one wants you there. First of all, nobody ever wants the extra lady who doesn’t actually belong,” Kelly said. “They just don’t. Pro tip, as somebody whose brother is a cop, they don’t want you there even if you’re an attractive lady. They don’t want you.”

“There are lives on the line. They may say that you can come because you’re DHS secretary, but these guys are going to be much safer if you have nothing to do with it,” Kelly said. “Sure enough, she went on one of these raids, and somebody tried to kick her. It’s like she’s looking for an opportunity to have that happen. I have had it up to here with all of this.”

According to a notice published on the Federal Register, Noem announced Tuesday that the DHS will waive environmental restrictions to expedite the construction of an estimated 2.5 mile-long wall at the California-Mexico border.

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