US Homeland Security Secretary’s Handbag Stolen, Containing $3000 In Cash
A handbag belonging to the United States Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, was stolen on Sunday night while she was dining at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
The bag contained her passport, department security badge, and $3000 in cash, according to a statement from the department.
Ms. Noem confirmed the theft the following morning at the White House Easter Egg Roll event.
While the department did not provide specific details, it did validate information from a CNN article, which reported that Ms. Noem’s handbag also held her driver’s license, medication, apartment keys, and blank checks.
“The entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren,” the department shared in an email. “She had withdrawn the cash to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts.”
On Monday, the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington directed all inquiries to the Secret Service, which then referred questions to the Department of Homeland Security.
As the Republican governor of South Dakota before her appointment to the Trump administration, Ms. Noem has gained attention for her provocative social media posts, including one featuring a video from a Salvadoran prison, where she was seen wearing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement cap and a Rolex watch.
In her role as Homeland Security Secretary, Ms. Noem oversees a department responsible for national security, which includes border control, immigration, terrorism protection, and cybersecurity.
The agencies under her jurisdiction include FEMA, the emergency management agency; the Coast Guard; and the Secret Service.
Kristi Lynn Arnold Noem is an American politician serving since 2025 as the 8th United States secretary of homeland security.
A member of the Republican Party, she served from 2019 to 2025 as the 33rd governor of South Dakota and from 2011 to 2019 represented South Dakota’s at-large congressional district in the U.S. House.
Born in Watertown, South Dakota, Noem began her political career in the South Dakota House of Representatives, serving from 2007 to 2011.
Noem was elected as the first female governor of South Dakota in 2018 with the endorsement of President Donald Trump. She gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for opposing statewide mask mandates and advocating voluntary measures.
Noem has conservative positions on most domestic issues, particularly gun rights. Even during her tenure as governor, she and her family lived on their South Dakota ranch.
