Kristi Noem, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, became an unexpected punchline on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show this week after a robbery left her without critical personal and government items. According to reports, Noem was dining at a Washington, D.C. restaurant on Easter Sunday when her belongings — including her passport, driver’s license, DHS badge, keys and $3,000 in cash — were stolen.
The late-night host called the episode “embarrassing” and wasted no time trying to turn it into comedy gold. One detail, in particular, caught his attention: the $3,000 in cash Noem was carrying.
“Who carries $3,000 in cash?” Kimmel joked during his monologue. “What is she, T-Pain?”
Noem intended to use it to “treat her family to dinner, activities and Easter gifts.”
Fox News has additional details:
“A thief wearing a mask, a medical mask, snatched the purse from underneath her seat. Unfortunately for Secretary Noem, the security footage shows that the suspect is a White male. So that’s a missed opportunity,” Kimmel continued.
“And what could be more embarrassing than our head of Homeland Security getting robbed? It’s unbelievable! And the funniest part is none of this would have ever happened if she hadn’t shot her guard dog!” Kimmel continued, referring to an anecdote Noem wrote in her book about having to kill what she described as an “untrainable” dog.
Kimmel’s Mockery: From Cash to Chickens
While many might sympathize with the inconvenience and security risks of such a theft, Kimmel took a different route, skewering the situation with sarcasm.
Then came the deeper cut: jokes about Noem’s family and a resurfaced controversy from her past. In 2023, Noem admitted in a book to killing her family’s dog, calling it “untrainable” after it killed a neighbor’s chickens. Kimmel didn’t miss the opportunity to revisit that story for another round of late-night jabs.
Kimmel, a frequent Trump critic, told Rolling Stone recently that liberals who viciously attacked comedians were to blame for Trump’s rise to power.
“I think a lot of the outrage is completely manufactured, and it’s like, a lot of these people who are angry aren’t really angry. I think these liberals who’ve done such a good job of viciously attacking comedians are a big part of the reason why Trump is the president right now,” he said in an interview earlier this month when asked about the constantly shifting standards of what is acceptable in comedy.
“I just think human beings in general, when you see something that makes you laugh and you see a bunch of other people laughing, and then somebody steps in with their arms folded and goes, ‘That’s not funny, and here’s why that’s not funny,’ it just doesn’t give you a good feeling about a person,” the television host and comedian attempted to explain.
A Pattern of Partisan Punchlines?
A 2023 study found that 81% of jokes on late-night talk shows targeted conservatives, a trend that’s become a defining feature of Kimmel’s brand. He’s embraced the reputation, even at the cost of alienating most conservative viewers.
With declining bipartisan appeal, the comedian has doubled down on satirical attacks against Republican figures, turning moments like Noem’s misfortune into political theater.
Final Thoughts
What should have been a quiet family holiday for Noem instead became a media storm — and Kimmel was happy to fan the flames.
While some may laugh, many see it as another example of the deepening partisan divide in entertainment.
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If she were a democrat; the thief would already be in jail.
Shut up you liberal puke. I wish you show would get cancelled together with the View and probably others that spout liberal nonsense.
Why don’t you shut your mouth you democrit/hypocrit. Your party has enough problems and I hope they keep digging themselves a deeper hole.