U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security ICE Barbie Kristi Noem has indeed been in one of the most silly controversies this past week.
Noem, in all her glory, claimed that Los Angeles “wouldn’t be standing” today. President Donald Trump did not take a timely decision to deploy federal forces during civil unrest.
Kristi Noem was on Face the Nation for an interview with host Ed O’Keefe on Sunday. During the interview, she made a remark, which is safe to say, that took O’Keefe also by surprise. He gave her a moment to clarify her remarks. Still, she doubled down and said that the businesses in the city were dealing with riots and violence and that it was necessary to bring the federal law enforcement to the city.
In the meantime, many of those homes and businesses in Los Angeles were dealing with riots and violence,” Noem said. “Bringing those federal law enforcement officers in was incredibly important to keeping the peace.”
As expected, her words met with incredible scrutiny and mockery from local leaders, national press, and commentators.
The city of Los Angeles “wouldn’t be standing today” if the Trump administration hadn’t deployed National Guard troops in June to assist federal agents conducting operations there, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem says.
“So many of those homes and businesses that were in Downtown L.A.… pic.twitter.com/PliTd6Pz3F
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) August 31, 2025
Everyone across the board found her claims highly inaccurate and exaggerated. Noem was attacked on social media by the California Governor and others.
California Governor Gavin Newsom offered perhaps the most pointed response, posting simply: “Hahahahahhahahahahahahahaha,” on X, mocking Noem’s characterization of events.
Political commentator Tommy Vietor, a co-host of Pod Save America, was equally dismissive. “There were protests in about three downtown blocks of LA over the course of a few days. No one here wanted or needed troops on the streets—Kristi Noem is comically full of s–, per usual.”
Veteran journalist Keith Olbermann also weighed in, joking, “MRIs of Kristi Noem’s head showed nothing.”
These sharp responses showed her ill-informed comments were. Locals of LA also did not spare Noem for her false claims. All through the “riots” several of the city dwellers claimed that the situation was not at all bad in the city and targeted reporting by the right wing media made it far worse.
The presence of federal law enforcement was just a political grandstanding on President Trump’s part.
Noem’s remarks are direct evidence of Trump’s broader attempt to deploy federal law
enforcement to democratic run states and cities during slight unrest and showcase them as crime-ridden places. Trump is doing this all the while, the republican states and cities are at the top of the list of the crime-infested places.
Kamala warned us. After deploying the National Guard to D.C., Trump said he plans to send them to Democratic-run cities — even as crime declines. Critics argue it’s politically motivated and raises serious constitutional concerns. pic.twitter.com/6Kj6NNX1Kp
— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) August 25, 2025
It is to be noted that during the summer of protests, Los Angeles did see unrest. However, local officials, including then-Mayor Eric Garcetti, had maintained that city law enforcement was more than capable of restoring peace and order without any intervention from Washington.
The backlash reflects the extreme annoyance at Noem’s hyperbole. It also shows how rhetoric can erode the public trust.
In an attempt to depict LA as a city run and destroyed without federal help and interference, it feeds into the fear of those who rely on the media for correct reporting, especially the MAGA base.
MSNBC’s Mike Barnicle: The pictures you’re seeing out of LA “tell a story that’s not really accurate.”
Operation Cheap Fakes 2: LA Riots Edition pic.twitter.com/t5js7dUeRr
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) June 11, 2025
Critics also highlight a disconnect between the message that Noem has been trying to convey and the reality of the situation from those who have lived through these situations.
