Everything you thought about Kristi Noem will be proven correct by this article. But the most galling thing is how she is fully dedicated to enriching herself at the cost of the American people.

Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski Are Trump’s Top Goons:

In April, the Daily Mail snapped photographs of Lewandowski outside her Navy Yard complex with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, and partly in response to the presence of the Mail’s paparazzi, which a DHS spokesperson said had led to threats and safety concerns, she moved into military housing usually reserved for the top admiral of the Coast Guard, which is under DHS’s purview. This has only fueled the rumors surrounding Noem. “They’ve sent no three- or four-stars in the Coast Guard up for confirmation,” a top administration official told me, “because she doesn’t want to get kicked out of the commandant’s house.”

Most notoriously, when the U.S. sent 238 migrants to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center — described as a “hell on earth,” where alleged human-rights abuses are rampant — she filmed a video in front of a cage of inmates wearing a $50,000 Rolex.

“She’s going to play a key role in advancing Donald Trump’s effort to consolidate the powers of the presidency,” a former DHS official told me. “I think by the end of this administration, if she stays the whole time, she’s likely to become the warden of the police state.”

In 2019, after a conservative conference in Doral, Florida, a bunch of VIPs were on the patio smoking cigars and drinking. Then Noem came out and sat on Lewandowski’s lap. “I remember it being just very romantic,” said a person present. “Interactions that you would expect of a romantic couple, not of a political consultant and the client.” They added, “It was very clear that they were together.”

Others said Noem was virtually an empty vessel. “Beyond just basic conservative principles, she never had an original policy idea or thought at all,” a former campaign aide told me. “She never read books or newspapers or newsmagazines, had zero interest in policy.” Like Trump, her management style, the aide said, “revolves around whoever is the last person to speak to her.” She had a nickname among staff, “Governor Text Message,” because she did much of her managing via phone.

She earned a reputation among lawmakers for enjoying the perks of office a little too much, traveling often on the state’s plane and spending taxpayer money on a hunting trip to Canada and a trip to Las Vegas, among other destinations with no obvious bearing on state business. Taffy Howard, a Republican state senator who clashed with Noem over the years, said she and some of her fellow lawmakers tried to force Noem to reveal how much money was being spent on her travel but were told revealing that information would be a security issue. “You could not oppose her without her taking it personally,” Howard said.

Sheahan knows there are people who think that, without any law-enforcement background, she isn’t qualified for a job usually occupied by veteran ICE officials. “I absolutely think I’m qualified for the job,” she told me. “Because at the end of the day, what really makes anybody qualified for any job?”

In late August, articles in several outlets detailed the delays in contract approvals, which DHS officials denied were happening. They caught the attention of the White House, which is now monitoring Lewandowski’s hours and, according to the administration official, complaining about how difficult Noem can be to reach. In response to the articles, Lewandowski and Noem called various officials in the department to try to speed things up. “They were screaming,” one DHS employee told me about a call with ICE officials. “The level of disrespect and screaming at everybody in that room — I think people were really shocked and taken aback.” Noem “dropped multiple F-bombs,” a former DHS staffer said. It was clear to everyone that she and Lewandowski had been embarrassed by the bad press and were now feeding off each other’s negative energy. They accused the people in the room of “lining their pockets” from government contracts, according to the former staffer, an accusation that struck them as a possible projection. At one point, a member of the team rattled off some acronyms. “Enough with the acronyms,” Lewandowski said. “I’ll give you an acronym: F-I-R-E-D.”

I've said previously that she's an ignorant, cosplaying wastrel. Now she went and proved it.

Putting the "Con" in Conservative, Part I: Kristi Noem:

Actually, self-promotion is not her only consuming interest. She has another major interest: traveling in style. The Coast Guard just spent $172 million for two top-of-the line Gulfstream jets for her use while visiting devastated sites (FEMA is part of Homeland Security). Here is a photo of a Gulfstream G700, which the company claims has the most spacious cabin in the industry.

After all, when visiting a location wiped out by a hurricane or flood, it is important to impress the victims how wisely taxpayer funds are being deployed and how officials are vigorously rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. Leona Helmsley worked in the private sector, but would still be proud of Noem.

Some members of Congress have taken notice. The ranking members of the House Appropriations Committee and Homeland Security Committee, Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL) sent Noem a letter including this paragraph:

In addition to raising serious questions about your ability to effectively lead an agency whose procurement strategies appear to vary on a whim, the procurement of new luxury jets for your use suggests that the U.S.C.G. has been directed to prioritize your own comfort above the U.S.C.G.'s operational needs, even during a government shutdown. We are deeply concerned about your judgment, leadership priorities, and responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars.

Finally, on top of all of this, she is living rent-free in the house intended for use by the Coast Guard's commandant. It sure beats living the good life in Pierre, SD.