In yet another embarrassing black eye for Washington, D.C., Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem became the victim of a brazen theft Sunday night while dining at a restaurant in the nation’s capital. According to law enforcement sources and Noem herself, the thief made off with her personal bag—containing not just some loose change and lipstick, but highly sensitive items that raise serious national security concerns.
The stolen bag reportedly contained Noem’s driver’s license, passport, apartment keys, medication, DHS access badge, blank checks, makeup bag, and $3,000 in cash. For those keeping track at home, that’s pretty much a comprehensive checklist of everything you wouldn’t want falling into the wrong hands—especially when you’re the head of the Department of Homeland Security.
Kristi Noem’s purse, with $3K cash inside, snatched by thief during outing at DC restaurant https://t.co/BhYoq6HWht pic.twitter.com/lPTrclukNd
— New York Post (@nypost) April 21, 2025
Security footage reviewed by the Secret Service showed a white male suspect wearing a medical mask (how convenient) casually walking off with the Secretary’s belongings. Noem confirmed the theft during the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday but gave few additional details, noting that the investigation is ongoing.
Let’s take a step back here. The woman responsible for overseeing America’s homeland security just had her passport, DHS badge, and a stack of blank checks stolen—inside a restaurant in Washington, D.C., while surrounded by full-time Secret Service protection.
This is not just a bad look. It’s a glaring example of the chaos and dysfunction plaguing the nation’s capital—a city with sky-high crime rates, soft-on-crime policies, and a revolving door of justice that emboldens criminals to swipe the Secretary of Homeland Security’s bag without so much as a raised eyebrow.
While it’s easy to sympathize with Noem—after all, crime is rampant in D.C.—it does raise questions about the security protocols in place for high-level officials. If the head of DHS can be robbed in a restaurant, what exactly does that say about security in our nation’s capital?
Noem, the former South Dakota governor and rising conservative star, has long campaigned on law and order. Ironically, this theft underscores exactly why that message continues to resonate with voters nationwide. Washington elites may dismiss crime as a talking point—but now it’s walked straight into their dinner parties.
Let’s hope the Secret Service finds the suspect. And let’s hope the rest of D.C. takes this as a wake-up call.