Ex-Trump aide jabs new DHS head: She's 'killed more animals than any Haitian immigrants'

A former deputy press secretary for Donald Trump jabbed Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) over her lack of experience in Homeland Security, the department she will take over for the Trump administration.

Noem — who has been plagued by scandals in South Dakotafor years — is headed to Washington as she takes over a key piece of the federal government. Her selection has faced scrutiny, with the government watchdog group Accountable.us blasting her as "extreme and untrustworthy with zero national security credentials."

Among the scandals she's faced in South Dakota, which has a population slightly larger than Washington, D.C.: Her tale of shooting a puppy she couldn't train.

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"I hated that dog," Noem wrote in her book, describing the family puppy as "worthless."

Speaking to MSNBC on Tuesday, host and reporter Jacob Soboroff flagged the small population of her home state, which has just over 900,000 people, as one item of concern.

There are "260,000 employees in the Department [of Homeland Security], and is she ready for that? A question she has to answer," he asked.

Former Trump aide Sarah Matthews said she doubts Noem's appointment stemmed from her experience or policy ideas.

"Think that it all comes down to loyalty, like you noted," Matthews told MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace. "Her record — she doesn't have any background in national security or law enforcement that you would typically see to choose someone to head up this agency. The mission of the Department of Homeland Security is a vital one. It's vast."

It doesn't merely cover the border, it also oversees the Secret Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration and more.

"And to imagine that she is going to be in charge of all those things is a little bit alarming, and I think it's been telling, too, that even in MAGA world there has been some pushback on this selection," continued Matthews. "I think not everyone is necessarily thrilled with her selection. She turned off a lot of people, even those within the MAGA world, when she was pushing her memoir and telling the story about killing her puppy because she couldn't train it."

Matthews then pivoted to recall, "I think it's worth noting that Kristi Noem has killed more animals than any Haitian migrant in Springfield, Ohio."

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