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Democratic Senator Rips ICE Barbie’s Love of Photo Ops

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Tina Smith slammed Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem for not “doing her job.”

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joins ICE operation as she accompanies numerous federal agents raid in Huntington Park, in Los Angeles, California on June 12, 2025.
Department of Homeland Security

Democratic Sen. Tina Smith took a swipe at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for her love of the camera Thursday.

Replying to a video on X of bodybuilders throwing around weights with the caption, “What’s harder than this?” Smith, 67, cattily replied, “Getting Kristi Noem to do her job instead of photo ops.”

Noem, 53, has earned the moniker “ICE Barbie” for dolling up for photo shoots in front of detainees and on raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among other bizarre publicity stunts.

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Noem has been ridiculed in the past for wearing a $60,000 watch at a mega prison in El Salvador while filming a self-promo and mishandling a weapon while using it as a prop for a photo shoot with ICE officers, though she claims to be experienced with firearms.

Most recently, Noem was clowned for deliberating on her official portrait instead of sending aid to Texas after it was devastated by flooding.

Smith, who regularly enjoys roasting her Republican colleagues on X with witty quips, has served as a senator for Minnesota since 2018. She was reportedly targeted by Vance Boelter, the man who allegedly assassinated House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband. In February, Smith announced she would not run for another term.