Kristi Noem's Cowboy Cosplay Has The Internet Roasting Her

Kristi Noem's latest media appearances are causing the new secretary of Homeland Security to take some serious heat. For starters, Noem donned a baseball cap for a Fox News interview — a move that caused some to speculate it was a lazy attempt to hide hair extensions. She also wore a matching border patrol jacket, eliciting accusations of cosplay. On February 2, 2025, Noem was targeted with fresh ridicule after she wore a cowboy hat on "Meet the Press." "Kristi Noem seems to think that serving as a Cabinet secretary is akin to attending a Halloween party," remarked one person on X (formerly Twitter). "These costumes are just getting ridiculous."

Once again, Noem sported prominent eye makeup, her long, wavy strands perfectly coifed. For some, it was the disjointed nature of her look that annoyed them. "She's a grown up Bratz doll in her Sheriff cosplay set that includes a cowboy hat, star badge, and rhinestone cowboy boots," joked another poster on X.

Some came to Noem's defense and said her cowboy hat was fitting for her experiences as a rancher. Noem even wore the same shirt and cowboy hat at South Dakota's Buffalo Roundup event, and she used a cowboy hat photo for the cover of her memoir "Not My First Rodeo." However, in this case, Noem was in a TV studio, not on horseback. "This is performative art," asserted Symone Sanders Townsend on MSNBC. Townsend found Noem's outfits distracting and not indicative of her job performance.

During her time as governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem dressed up in numerous different outfits. In an instance of appropriate use of costumes, Noem donned a cowboy hat as part of an Annie Oakley outfit for Halloween 2024, and she dressed up as the Statue of Liberty the previous year.

Noem even got to put her costume fandom to good use in a series of TV spots for the Governor's Office of Economic Development. However, when she pretended to work in a variety of professions, sometimes things got a little cringy. In one ad Noem was dressed as a construction worker, and she caused a succession of boards framing a house to fall down like dominoes. Others were super unrealistic, like when Noem was welding, her long hair dangling dangerously close to flying sparks.

TV campaigns aside, some people would prefer if Noem kept her clothing choices simple in front of the camera. "She needs to be in business attire. Not impersonating the officers who work for her," suggested one poster on X (formerly Twitter). However, even if Noem left her hats at home, it might not be enough for her to ditch the association with costumes. "She's like Lady Godiva," joked conservative podcaster Megyn Kelly in May 2024 (via TikTok), referencing Noem's drastic MAGA makeover. "She's trying to be like some sort of a glam queen instead of a respected leader."