On March 3, former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a nearly five-hour hearing regarding the department’s shutdown and murders committed by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
In a letter written by ranking members following Noem’s hearing, they criticized various aspects of the information she prepared.
“After months of evading our Committees’ requests to testify in routine oversight hearings, Secretary Noem made a series of demonstrably false statements in a brazen attempt to undermine critical congressional oversight of the Department of Homeland Security,” members said.
They later wrote, “Making false statements to Congress, and making false statements under oath, are federal crimes.” Just two days after the hearing, President Donald Trump fired Noem. Former Sen. Markwayne Mullin was later sworn in on March 24.
Later that month, reporter Josh Boswell wrote on X, “Kristi Noem’s husband is a secret crossdresser who dons gigantic fake breasts and pink hotpants to chat with online fetish models.” Boswell later wrote, “The selfies Bryon sent are quite astounding. As is the fact that he opened up his wife to the danger of potential blackmail by foreign powers, intelligence experts told us.” Kristi Noem faced backlash from the scandal but continues to work for the Shield of the Americas as special envoy in South Dakota.
In just one month, Noem’s career, family and image were disposed of. As a result, the Trump administration deemed her expendable. However, it seems that was the purpose of her position to begin with. Noem consistently spread misinformation through the entirety of her tenure to the media and the overall public. She served as a vessel to cause confusion and panic through government-funded propaganda.
Once Noem had garnered enough negative attention from the media, she was rendered useless, which later became a consistent pattern for Trump and the women in his cabinet. The cumulation from the controversy surrounding her husband and the bad press from the hearing allowed Trump to let her go without much backlash. Furthermore, it also allowed Trump to cut ties with Noem before any information that she shared at the hearing got back to him.
This pattern continued on March 17 when former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was subpoenaed by Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House committee on oversight, for the handling of the Epstein Files. On April 2, Bondi was fired by Trump and was later replaced by Todd Blanche.
Blanche began representing Trump as his lawyer in 2023. The original case was stalled by Blanche until the 2024 election and was later dismissed. That same year, Blanche represented Trump in another trial that ended in 34 felony counts of falsified business records for the president. Now in office, Blanche’s work is heavily based on allowing those previously ineligible to apply for restoration to obtain a firearm. As of Aug. 17, Blanche has instated a program to allow such individuals access.
Regarding the Epstein Files, Blanche has done little to bring justice to the victims and families affected. In early August, Blanche blocked a state investigation into Epstein’s New Mexico ranch, and he continues to hinder the overall investigation; however, the media lacks any initiative to report on him in a negative light. Compared to the media attention Bondi amassed, Blanche has faced far less scrutiny, allowing him to perpetuate a system built on political loyalty, rather than accountability.
Bondi and Noem both face similar fates regarding their removal from office, and both have moved from the public light. When questioned by the Senate, they both frequently deflected questions regardless of what they were asked. Ultimately, they reflected Trump’s political communication patterns by deflecting from the truth and spreading misinformation.
On Aug. 13, Trump announced Karoline Leavitt’s departure from her role as Press Secretary. Leavitt served for nearly two years, during which she faced several controversies herself. No one has been announced to take over her role.
In retrospect, those women always served as scapegoats of the Trump administration. By allowing those women to receive a majority of the backlash from the controversies created by Trump himself, he can replace them with convenient figures who will not stray too far from his agenda.
This pattern makes it apparent how easily blame can be shifted to other individuals in this administration, especially women. When controversy appeared, these women often became the face of the issue, allowing greater scrutiny to fall on them rather than Trump himself. Their departures mark a consistent practice of redirecting accountability from the source, which continues to protect a corrupt system.
Adam Gerber is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Adam about their column? Email them at ag967424@ohio.edu
