Kristi Noem isn’t getting much sympathy from her own side after being shown the door by President Donald Trump—with conservative voices now dragging the former Homeland Security secretary’s name through the mud.
Among the harshest critics is conservative commentator Meghan McCain, who unleashed a barrage of posts on X Thursday night, tearing into what she described as Noem’s “vanity” spending spree while in office.
The former host of The View, 41, first chimed in under a post criticizing Noem’s controversial $220 million Department of Homeland Security advertising campaign—an initiative that featured the secretary herself riding a horse while promoting immigration enforcement.
“Put her in prison, she stole money,” McCain wrote, reacting to reports about the massive taxpayer-funded media stunt.
McCain appeared particularly stunned by the price tag attached to the ads, comparing the spending to the cost of major entertainment projects.
“$220 million campaign ad? On an ad? Not a movie?” she wrote incredulously. “The Melania movie cost $40 million, and that was a feature-length film.”
But McCain wasn’t done.
Friday morning, she returned to the platform to deliver another jab, blasting Noem, 54, for what she framed as an ego-driven media push while Americans struggle with economic pressures.
“I can’t tell you how angry I am that the American taxpayer paid $200 million” for what she called a ”series of pointless commercials.”
Still disgruntled by Noem’s spending, McCain issued another early morning post, accusing the former secretary of using the department’s platform to “cosplay as a law enforcement only fans grandma.”
McCain also argued that the money could have been spent far more productively, saying it “could have gone to our teachers, veterans, law enforcement or homeless.”
In another post, McCain mocked the eye-popping cost of the campaign by comparing it to the budget of one of HBO’s biggest shows.
“One episode of Game of Thrones cost $15 million to make,” McCain wrote. “How the hell did DHS spend $220 million on ridiculous promotional videos?” she pondered.
McCain wasn’t the only right-wing voice taking a victory lap after Noem’s removal from office.
Fellow commentator Tomi Lahren also jumped into the fray on X, blasting the spending as indefensible.
“How do you justify spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on a vanity ad for yourself? You can’t.” Lahren wrote.
The criticism follows a tense congressional hearing earlier this week, in which Noem faced tough questions from lawmakers about the controversial DHS campaign and broader department spending.
During the Wednesday hearing, Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, 63, pressed the secretary on the department’s promotional blitz and other expenditures, including reports that DHS had authorized roughly $172 million for two private jets and another $70 million for a customized Boeing 737 MAX aircraft reportedly outfitted with luxury amenities.
Noem defended the spending during the hearing, insisting the advertising campaign had been approved through congressional appropriations.
But even Trump, 79, appeared to distance himself from the controversy.
“I never knew anything about it,” the president told Reuters on Thursday when asked about the campaign.
McCain, meanwhile, demanded accountability for whoever greenlit the eye-watering spending.
“Please bring me the names of the people who let Kristi Noem spend $200 million of our tax dollars on her f—ing DHS vanity ads,” she wrote.
Noem’s abrupt departure capped months of controversy surrounding her tenure at DHS—including persistent rumors of internal turmoil and allegations of an affair with adviser Corey Lewandowski.
Her replacement, Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, has already received early praise from Republicans on Capitol Hill.
GOP Rep. Darin LaHood said he had the “utmost confidence” in Mullin’s ability to lead the department.
Once news broke, McCain was quick to celebrate the former secretary’s demotion to Special Envoy for the Shield of Americas.
Replying to one post announcing Noem’s firing, she summed up her reaction in just two words:
“BYE WIG.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House and DHS for comment.
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