Noem's disastrous week capped with humiliating new report

What this episode is about

Christine Noem's tumultuous week as head of the Department of Homeland Security culminated in a chaotic series of events, including the controversial firing of a pilot over a missing blanket and significant mismanagement that led to a series of embarrassing incidents, such as the improper shutdown of airspace and issues surrounding immigration treatment. Additionally, troubling revelations about personnel and administrative decisions within DHS have further highlighted the ongoing dysfunction in the agency.

Key takeaways

• DHS chaos: Where a missing blanket can trigger a pilot's pink slip faster than border security can respond.
• Amidst national security crises, DHS prioritizes blankets over border lapses—talk about misplaced priorities.
• Christie Noem's hair may be TV-ready, but her department's oversight isn’t even close to being presentable.
• A pilot's firing for a blanket: a new low in the already bizarre saga of Trump's cabinet.
• When a Coast Guard pilot's fate hinges on a blanket, it begs the question: what’s next, pillow fights?

Who speaks in this episode?

• Eric Swalwell (Guest) · 2 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Wall Street Journal, Department of Homeland Security, Minneapolis, Donald Trump
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Corey Luwendowski, Wall Street Journal, Governor Kristi Noem, Donald Trump
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Wall Street Journal, Governor Kristi Noem, Isis
4. 9:00 – 11:28: Governor Kristi Noem, Donald Trump, Arizona

Notable quotes from "Noem's disastrous week capped with humiliating new report"

• CABINET POSSIBLY EMBARRASS THEMSELVES MORE THAN PAM BONDI DID AT THAT HEARING, BUT THEN LATE LAST NIGHT, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL HIT SENT ON WHAT MIGHT JUST BE THE CRAZIEST…

  about Wall Street Journal · at 0:03

• Footage that, surprise, surprise, you can see it right there, also contradicts the official account about how that shooting took WE'VE SEEN A TRUMP APPOINTED.

  about Mary Mar-Martinez · at 1:28

• BARREL TOWARD A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT OVER DHS'S REFUSAL TO CHANGE ITS TACTICS IN THE WAKE OF ITS CRUEL AND OUT-OF-CONTROL MINNEAPOLIS OPERATION.

  about Department of Homeland Security · at 2:16

• Corey Lewandowski then fired a U.S.

  about Corey Luwendowski · at 4:43

• As far as we know, these two INCIDENTS ARE UNRELATED WHO KNOWS BUT ACCORDING TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL LEWANDOWSKI MADE IT KNOWN TO TOP ICE OFFICIALS THAT HE WANTED TO BE…

  about Isis · at 6:04

• Because the journal matched earlier reporting from ProPublica, which found that Kristi Noem spent over $200 million of taxpayer money on ads that featured her telling immigrants to leave the country.

  about Governor Kristi Noem · at 7:41

• MANTLE ON ONE OF DONALD TRUMP'S AND IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO BUILD UP HER PROFILE WHILE WORMING HER WAY BACK INTO TRUMP'S GOOD GRACES BUT IT'S ALSO CLEAR THAT IT IS WORKING THE WAY IT WAS.

  about Donald Trump · at 10:13

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Governor Kristi Noem — Person · Referenced public official / central subject of criticism · 4 mentions · first at 5:54
  The segment centers on alleged chaos, mismanagement, and scandal inside DHS under Noem, including travel incidents, spending, and internal power dynamics.
• Corey Luwendowski — Person · Referenced political operative / alleged DHS power broker · 2 mentions · first at 4:43
  Portrayed as unusually close to Noem and as exerting influence inside DHS—allegedly firing a pilot over a blanket and pushing for a badge and gun despite not being law enforcement.
• Donald Trump — Person · Referenced political leader / administration figure · 3 mentions · first at 0:01
  Referenced as the president connected to the cabinet and DHS leadership; the segment claims even Trump was made uncomfortable by the alleged Noem–Lewandowski relationship and notes efforts to regain his favor.
• Mary Mar-Martinez — Person · Referenced victim in DHS-related incident · 1 mention · first at 1:25
  Mentioned as a Chicago school teacher shot by Border Patrol agents; body-cam footage is cited as contradicting the official account, used to illustrate broader DHS controversy.

Companies & orgs

• Department of Homeland Security — Company · Business focus · 2 mentions · first at 0:27
  Central to the discussion about mismanagement and scandals within the Trump administration
• Wall Street Journal — Company · Case study · 7 mentions · first at 0:07
  Source of the bombshell reporting on the scandals within DHS

Concepts & topics

• Isis — Concept · Key argument · 2 mentions · first at 1:08
  Mentioned in the context of DHS's operations and controversies

Places & events

• Minneapolis — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at 1:41
  Location of an ICE detention center involved in DHS controversies
  BARREL TOWARD A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT OVER DHS'S REFUSAL TO CHANGE ITS TACTICS IN THE WAKE OF ITS CRUEL AND OUT-OF-CONTROL MINNEAPOLIS OPERATION.
• Arizona — Place · Setting · 1 mention · first at 10:08
  Location where Kristi Noem held a press conference
  JUST TODAY SHE HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE IN ARIZONA WHERE SHE DECIDED TO TRY REALLY, REALLY HARD TO TAKE UP THE MANTLE ON ONE OF DONALD TRUMP'S.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 HONESTLY, HOW COULD A MEMBER O DONALD TRUMP'S CABINET POSSIBLY EMBARRASS THEMSELVES MORE THAN PAM BONDI DID AT THAT HEARING, BUT THEN LATE LAST NIGHT, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL HIT SENT ON WHAT MIGHT JUST BE THE CRAZIEST STORY ABOUT A TRUMP CABINET MEMBER WE HAVE SEEN SINCE HE GOT BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND BOY IS THERE A LOT OF COMPETITION FOR THAT AND HERE'S THE HEADLINE A PILOT FIRED OVER CHRISTINE NOAM'S MISSING BLANKET AND THE CONSTANT CHAOS INSIDE DHS THAT'S A REAL HEADLINE IN THE WALL STREET IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AND YES THE HEADLINE IS WILD OF COURSE BUT DOES NOT EVEN BEGIN TO DO THIS STORY JUSTICE AND I'M GOING TO GET INTO ALL OF THE INSANE DETAILS IN JUST A MOMENT BUT EVEN BEFORE WE ALL SAW THAT STORY CHRISTINE NOAM'S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND INSECURITY WAS HAVING WELL YOU COULD CALL IT A HELL OF A WEEK I MEAN THIS WEEK WE SAW MASS CHAOS AND CONFUSION AFTER OFFICIAL SHUTDOWN AIRSPACE OVER

0:53 EL PASO BECAUSE BORDER PATROL AGENTS FIRED A IT WAS A LASER THEY BORROWED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AT WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE A VALENTINE'S DAY BALLOON. AND THEY WERE PLANNING TO SHUT DOWN THE AIRSPACE FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS, BY THE WAY, OVER THAT. NOW WE HAVE SEEN TWO ISIS THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WE'VE SEEN THE RELEASE OF HORRIFYING BODY CAM FOOTAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATS. WE'VE ALSO SEEN THE RELEASE OF HORRIFYING BODY CAM FOOTAGE from the Border Patrol agents who shot Chicago school teacher Mary Mar-Martinez. Footage that, surprise, surprise, you can see it right there, also contradicts the official account about how that shooting took WE'VE SEEN A TRUMP APPOINTED FEDERAL JUDGE EXCORTIATE DHS OVER THEIR TREATMENT OF IMMIGRANTS IN A MINNEAPOLIS ICE DETENTION CENTER.

1:44 WE'VE LEARNED THAT DHS IMPROPERLY OBTAINED THE WE'VE LEARNED THAT A 21-YEAR-OLD WITH A PROCLIVITY FOR POSTING WHITE NATIONALIST THEMED CONTENT HAS APPARENTLY been running DHS's social media accounts. We've learned that DHS is being sued by a racetrack in Idaho, which alleges that parents and children were zip-tied at gunpoint during an immigration RAID, AND WE'RE NOW WATCHING CONGRESS BARREL TOWARD A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT OVER DHS'S REFUSAL TO CHANGE ITS TACTICS IN THE WAKE OF ITS CRUEL AND OUT-OF-CONTROL MINNEAPOLIS OPERATION.

2:26 ALL OF EVERYTHING I JUST SHOWED YOU AND I JUST WALKED THROUGH IS JUST FROM THIS WEEK, THIS WEEK. AND ALL OF THAT CAME BEFORE WE GOT THIS BLOCKBUSTER, DEEPLY SOURCED NEW REPORTING FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ABOUT THE CHAOS INSIDE CHRISTIE NOAM'S DHS. NOW, SOME OF WHAT IS REPORTED IN THIS STORY ARE THINGS VIEWERS OF THE SHOW ALREADY KNOW, BUT BEAR REPEATING. LIKE THE FACT THAT NOAM QUOTE HAS DONNED FLAK JACKETS ON ICE RECORDED MESSAGES URGING IMMIGRANTS TO SELF-DEPORT, STOOD BEFORE A GROUP OF IMPRISONED MEN WITH SHAVED HEADS PACKED INTO TIGHT ROWS IN A NOTORIOUS EL SALVADORIAN RECORDED MESSAGES URGING IMMIGRANTS, AND SHE'S DONE IT ALL WITH AN EYE TO HER STYLE OF COURSE, WITH TV-READY HAIR AND MAKEUP AS ONE DOES I SUPPOSE WHEN YOU'RE STANDING THERE AS SHE IS IN FRONT OF A PRISON IN EL SALVADOR, DEMOCRATICS.

3:18 THERE ARE ALSO SOME THINGS IN THIS ARTICLE WE DIDN'T KNOW BUT HAVE LONG SUSPECTED, like about Noem's unusually close relationship with DHS advisor and former Trump campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski. The Wall Street Journal reports, quote, Lewandowski and Noem, who are both married, have publicly denied the IN THE DEPARTMENT, THEY SAID PEOPLE SAID THEY DO LITTLE TO HIDE THEIR RELATIONSHIP INSIDE THE DEPARTMENT. WHAT STRUCK ME ABOUT THIS AS WELL WHEN YOU READ THE STORY IS THIS IS NOT A SINGLE SOURCES IN THIS STORY, A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKED TO THE JOURNAL FOR THE STORY.

3:51 ANYWAY, THAT ASIDE, OFFICIALS SAY THEIR RELATIONSHIP HAS EVEN MADE THE HIGHLY MORAL DONALD TRUMP UNCOMFORTABLE. THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT A IT'S NOT A SERIOUS WAY TO DESCRIBE DONALD TRUMP, BUT HE'S UNCOMFORTABLE BY IT IS THE POINT. A DHS SPOKESWOMAN RESPONDED TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL SAYING THE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T WASTE TIME WITH SALACIOUS, SPACELESS GOSSIP, WHICH DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A NO THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN TO ME OR THAT IT'S NOT GOING ON, I GUESS, TO ME. BUT WHO KNOWS? SO THAT ALONE IS PRETTY NEWSWORTHY AND KIND OF MAKES YOUR SKIN CRAWL KIND OF WAY.

4:21 BUT WHAT REALLY MAKES THIS NEWS STORY SUCH A BOMBSHELL PIECE OF REPORTING IS SOME OF THE TRULY WILD THINGS WE ARE JUST LEARNING FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. FOR INSTANCE, DURING ONE OFFICIAL TRIP, PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH THE THE INCIDENT SAY QUOTE, NOAM HAD TO SWITCH PLANES AFTER A MAINTENANCE ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED BUT HER BLANKET WASN'T MOVED TO THE SECOND plane. Corey Lewandowski then fired a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after Gnome's blanket was left behind. Okay, the story continues. It gets even better. The coast guard pilot was told to take TO TAKE A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT HOME WHEN THEY REACHED THEIR DESTINATION, BUT THEY EVENTUALLY REINSTATED THE PILOT BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WAS AVAILABLE TO FLY THEM HOME.

5:05 WHAT A STORY. SURPRISE, SURPRISE, A DHS SPOKESWOMAN DECLINED TO ADDRESS THAT PARTICULAR EPISODE WHEN ASKED ABOUT IT BY THE JOURNAL. BUT LET'S JUST PAUSE AND PUT A FINER POINT ON THAT. CHRISTIE NOME AND HER, LET'S JUST CALL HIM COMPANION, CORY LEWANDOWSKI TRIED TO FIRE SHE WAS A COAST GUARD PILOT JUST BECAUSE THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY LEFT HER BLANKIE ON THE PLANE. KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS THE IT'S THE SAME HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY OVERSEEING PACKED ICE DETENTION CENTERS LIKE THE ONE YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT THERE, WHERE DETAINEEES ARE SLEEPING LIKE SARDINES WHERE CHILDREN ARE KEPT.

5:47 BUT CHRISTIE NOEM APPARENTLY CAN'T MAKE IT ONE FLIGHT WITHOUT SOMETHING TO KEEP HER FEET WARM DURING THE IN-FLIGHT movie, poor Kristi Noem. Then there's the incredible saga over Corey Lewandowski's attempt to play policeman. This may be one of my favorite details. As far as we know, these two INCIDENTS ARE UNRELATED WHO KNOWS BUT ACCORDING TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL LEWANDOWSKI MADE IT KNOWN TO TOP ICE OFFICIALS THAT HE WANTED TO BE ISSUED A LAW ENFORCEMENT BADGE AND A FEDERALLY ISSUED GUN DESPITE THE FACT OF COURSE THAT HE WAS NOT A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL AND HE HAS NOT UNDERGONE ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING THAT WE KNOW OF WHATSOEVER.

6:24 NOW, LEWANDOWSKI TRIED ASKING THE ISIS LEGAL CENTER TO WRITE HIM JUSTIFICATION FOR BEING ISSUED A BADGE AND A GUN, AND WHEN A TOP ICE LAWYER DECLINED TO SIGN OFF ON THE WHOLE THING, I WONDER WHY, HE WAS PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. LEWANDOWSKI THEN EVENTUALLY PERSUADED other lawyers to sign off on his gun-toting ambitions, feeling like a big man, Corey Lewandowski, I guess. And this is my favorite part. The ICE director's auto pen was used to sign off on the paperwork. Now, of course, DHS denies that all of this happened and claimed that the ICE lawyer was put on administrative leave for other reasons.

7:04 Okay. But MSNOW has confirmed a large part of that story tonight. Also reporting that the ICE lawyer was actually escorted from the building after refusing to sign off on Lewandowski's request for a gun, according to two current and former officials. The whole incident is especially wild when you YOU CONSIDER THAT THIS IS THE SAME DEPARTMENT THAT EVEN CLAIMED CARRYING A GUN LAWFULLY WAS ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY KILLING A GUN LAWFULLY WAS ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY KILLING ALEX PREDI. REMEMBER THAT detail. And this story is about more than just Christy and Corey's childish behavior and their companionship.

7:38 It's also about their reckless spending on the taxpayer's dime, because the journal matched earlier reporting from ProPublica, which found that Kristi Noem spent over $200 million of taxpayer money on ads that featured her telling immigrants to leave the country. Money that ProPublica reports was funneled to an ad firm tied to Kristi Noem. It's like they think people won't notice here, people notice. Now the Wall Street Journal also reports that Noem and Lewandowski have been using a luxury 737 Max jet with a private cabin.

8:11 In the back for their travel, a plane that DHS is in the process of acquiring for approximately $70 million. You can just keep adding all of this up on a little notebook if you would like. The plane is paid for with money from the big ugly bill, and it's supposed to be used for high-profile deportations. But charter planes are primarily being used for deportation. So this private plane has become kind of more of a job perk for Noam. Her staff have even taken to calling it the big, beautiful jet as she jets around in it herself in her various costumes.

8:44 Maybe they're on the plane. Who knows? A DHS spokeswoman told the journal that the plane was used for both deportations and cabinet-level travel. But I would just note here that no detail on what exactly that breakdown is has been provided. It's not just the apparent grift that makes this story so eye-popping, although it does make it eye-popping. It's also about Noam's wild mismanagement of the agency she runs. Noam has forced all DHS contracts over $100,000 to require her personal sign-off. Supposedly to reign in spending.

9:15 But the policy has actually done the opposite. According to the journal, one contract for bulk steel sat on her desk for so long, by the time she actually approved it, the price of steel had gone up by more than $100 million. But maybe the most illuminating part of the entire report is really what it tells us about how much Kristi Noem sees herself as being in competition with other Trump officials, because, according to the journal, Noem routinely berated's death if she saw Borders are Tom Holman on TV and kept track of both their, both of their appearances to make sure she was on TV more than he was on TV.

9:56 What a THAT IS A VERY GOOD WAY TO SPEND YOUR TIME. THAT EXPLAINS A LOT ABOUT CHRISTIE NOAM, DOESN'T IT? I MEAN, IT EXPLAINS WHY NOW THAT SHE APPEARS TO BE DROWNING IN A SEA OF SCANDAL THAT SEEMS NEVER ENDING, SHE'S STILL SHE WAS STILL TRYING TO PUT HERSELF IN THE LIMELIGHT. I MEAN, JUST TODAY SHE HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE IN ARIZONA WHERE SHE DECIDED TO TRY REALLY, REALLY HARD TO TAKE UP THE MANTLE ON ONE OF DONALD TRUMP'S

10:21 AND IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO BUILD UP HER PROFILE WHILE WORMING HER WAY BACK INTO TRUMP'S GOOD GRACES BUT IT'S ALSO CLEAR THAT IT IS WORKING THE WAY IT WAS TAKE WHAT IT WAS INTENDED. THE THING IS CHRISTINE NOME IS SHE'S REALLY, REALLY BAD AT HER JOB. IT'S VERY CLEAR AND IT'S BECOMING HARD TO IGNORE, EVEN OVER AT 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE. IN ONE VERY TELLING PART OF THE WALL STREET JOURNALS REPORTING, CORY LEWANDOWSKI MESSAGED TRUMP'S POLLSTER WITH A REQUEST. THEY NEEDED HE WANTED THEM TO CUT AN AD TO HELP Gnome, THE POLLSTER, AND THE POLLSTER IGNORED THE ASK, BASICALLY.

10:55 SO WHILE COREY LUNDOSKY THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A LAUNCHING PAD FOR 2028, THE QUESTION THE QUESTION REALLY IS, WILL SHE EVEN HAVE HER JOB THROUGH 2026? I'M KIND OF DOUBTFUL, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW. JOINING ME NOW IS CONGRESSMAN ERIC SWALWELL.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Noem's disastrous week capped with humiliating new report"?

Eric Swalwell (Guest).

What is "Noem's disastrous week capped with humiliating new report" about?

Christine Noem's tumultuous week as head of the Department of Homeland Security culminated in a chaotic series of events, including the controversial firing of a pilot over a missing blanket and significant mismanagement that led to a series of embarrassing incidents, such as the improper shutdown of airspace and issues surrounding immigration treatment. Additionally, troubling revelations about…

What is mentioned in this MS NOW episode?

9 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Governor Kristi Noem, Department of Homeland Security, Corey Luwendowski, Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump, Minneapolis. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Noem's disastrous week capped with humiliating new report"?

The episode runs 11 min; the transcript is about 1,901 words in 18 timestamped sections.

More from MS NOW

• All analyzed episodes
• Books mentioned on MS NOW
• People mentioned on MS NOW
• Topics mentioned on MS NOW