Fox News host Trey Gowdy delivered a sharp rebuke of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem came under fire over her controversial Election Day post. The network’s own anchor broke down why her “too successful” claim backfired amid damning midterm results.
Fox News host calls out Kristi Noem for her midterm election post
Fox News host Trey Gowdy criticized former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for claiming she was “too successful” during President Donald Trump’s first year.
Noem posted the remark on Election Day as midterm results showed significant Republican losses. She agreed with Fox Business host Larry Kudlow that the economy was “booming.” She also incorrectly predicted Republicans would retain Senate control.
Gowdy, a former Republican representative, rebuked Noem on his show Sunday Night in America. He referenced her handling of a fatal incident involving federal immigration agents in Minnesota. “Calling dead Americans domestic terrorists before the investigation even commenced is not too much success,” Gowdy said. He added that Noem showed “a perceived lack of empathy, which in turn motivates voters to then go send a message.”
The Fox News host also targeted a $143 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign featuring Noem. She appeared on horseback against Mount Rushmore with full hair and makeup while heading DHS. “When people voted for border security, they were not including glitzy, self-serving ad campaigns focused on boosting personal political ambitions,” Gowdy said.
Gowdy described the Republican midterm defeat as “as thorough a whipping as I can recall in my lifetime” in a network op-ed. Fox’s Voter Poll showed 54 percent of Americans ranked government corruption as the top issue. Cost of living followed at 49 percent, while immigration enforcement ranked at 36 percent.
Trump himself acknowledged his immigration crackdown may have gone too far. “I think it might be too tough, yeah,” he said on CBS News’ 60 Minutes. Trump had previously fired Noem after a disastrous congressional hearing in March. She had claimed he authorized her expensive ad campaign, which he denied on Truth Social.
