Yee-Haw! ICE Barbie Is Now Galloping Through Argentina

Kristi Noem is embarrassing herself again.

By Danielle Han | July 29, 2025 | 6:28pm

Politics

Yee-Haw! ICE Barbie Is Now Galloping Through Argentina

Kristi and Argentina’s minister of national security, Patricia Bullrich, just horsing around… Photo: Getty Images

I would pay good money to see Kristi Noem’s Pinterest board. The Secretary of Homeland Security loves to don absurd costumes under the pretense of political campaigns and stunts (well, sometimes, out of pure wretchedness). In her days as the governor of South Dakota, she acted as a dentist, a welder, and a nurse. As ICE’s Barbie-in-Chief, she’s been a firefighter, a Mad-Max superstar, and a border-patrol officer. The pomp, which has won her nicknames like ICE Barbie and “Cosplay Kristi,” has been denounced by Democrats, prompted eye-rolls from Republicans, and even pissed off ICE officials. Her newest rodeo routine? Cowgirling through Argentina.

Clearly not haunted enough by one of her worst looks yet (ICYMI: while kids in Texas drowned in a flood, she was on Instagram, having fans vote on their favorite portrait of her in cowboy garb), on Tuesday, Noem brought back her full honky-tonk shebang of blue jeans and a big cowboy hat to meet with Patricia Bullrich, Argentina’s minister of national security. Twitter was quick to also spot “special friend” Corey Lewandowski at her side, prompting the question: Seriously, guys? On the taxpayer’s bill?

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On her tour through the country’s Campo De Mayo military base, Noem vowed to journalists and officials that she would soon “expedite” relaxed visa rules for Argentinian citizens. Under Donald Trump, the U.S. wants to allow the South American country to rejoin the Visa Waiver Program, which permits citizens from certain countries to visit up to 90 days, visa-free. Argentina was removed from the program in 2002, as a result of its then-economic crisis, but the country is now under a right-wing, budget-slashing president, Javier Milei, and is thus, again, in America’s (Trump’s) good books.

“Argentina is becoming an even stronger friend to the United States—more committed than ever to border security for both of our nations,” Noem declared. “This kind of diplomatic leadership, spearheaded by President Trump, will help increase the safety of both countries.”

The measure, if successful, could be a huge win for the “anarcho-capitalist” and anti-woke Milei. His rise to power closely resembled Trump’s, having used anti-feminist, anti-woke, anti-abortion policies to anchor his way into office. Since coming into power, he’s been known to take a “chainsaw” to government spending–a strong illustration for Trump’s once-upon-a-DOGE dreams.

Up next in Noem’s travel itinerary is Chile, where she’s just been spotted wearing camouflage leggings. Unfortunately for all of us, we can still see her.

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