Kristi Noem’s political career began in the late 2000s when she won a seat in the South Dakota House of Representatives. By 2010, the Republican was elected to Congress, serving out nine years in her home state before becoming governor. She has been criticized for her hands-off approach to COVI D-19, for previously supporting the ban on TikTok, and for the way she chooses to skate around the current facts about ICE agents and chaotic scenes across the nation during interviews. Campaign photos, viral jokes, and South Park satire have pushed Kristi Noem’s appearance to the forefront, often overshadowing growing controversy around her leadership and record. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) ‘ICE Barbie Needs to Go’: Rosie O’Donnell Unleashes a Brutal Jab at Kristi Noem That Fans Say ‘Applies to All’ of Trump’s Aides The imbalance has been growing as Noem’s visibility has increased. From hit television shows to social media influencers and critics, her looks have fueled discourse around the head of the Department of Homeland Security and other women in the Trump sphere. The makeovers many of the women who work for him have received have locked them into what’s called the “Mar-a-Lago face.” Criticism of Noem spiked last month after photos from her time as U.S. representative for South Dakota’s at-large congressional district began circulating online. Two images moved quickly across Threads and X, drawing attention to perceived changes in her face, hair, and overall presentation since 2013. What started as a question about Alex Pretti, a man unalived by ICE officers on Noem’s watch, quickly hardened into commentary about the brunette’s looks. Users dissected the contrast between the photos, treating the comparison less like a before-and-after and more like evidence of a transformation that felt jarring to many watching from the sidelines. One image shows Noem with a dark brown haircut, short in the back, longer in the front, and shaped around her face. She looked bright-eyed, wearing a blazer, a blouse, and a matching earring and necklace set with a full face of makeup in the professional image that appears to be from her campaign. A second image shows Noem in a more casual look, wearing a graphic t-shirt with a green sweater trimmed in black and grey. Both are a hard stretch compared to her full face makeup look and full hair extensions during press briefings. One commenter asked plainly, “Omg I’m dying. Is that really her?” Another said, “I don’t even recognize her.” The jokes sharpened from there. Kristi Noem’s punishment shouldn’t just be resignation, she should be forced to return to her old face and haircut and live with it for eternity pic.twitter.com/oLEJPTOvu9— sam greisman (@SAMGREIS) January 27, 2026 Dozens specifically pointed out, “She even had the Karen haircut!” “The old haircut was horrible, but the old face was actually very nice! The new one is a jumpscare lol,” said one social media user. Another added, “That hair was so ridiculous idk how she willingly went out in public like that.” One commenter joked that if Noem were ever held accountable over ICE, stepping down wouldn’t be enough: “Kristi Noem’s punishment shouldn’t just be resignation. She should be forced to return to her old face and haircut and live with it for eternity.” Another piled on, saying, “I think the new face and flammable hair extensions is punishment enough.” Kristi Noem in 2013, when she was just a midwestern uber Karen incessantly demanding to speak to manager, before her cosplay transformation into ICE Barbie and the purchase of her Mar-A-Lago face. pic.twitter.com/7AZuotDqZd— Kate (@ImSpeaking13) January 27, 2026 People are seeing this “jarring” appearance even more than usual over the past few weeks, particularly since she has to face public backlash after federal immigration agents shot and killed Pretti in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. Video shared online appeared to show Pretti holding a phone, but Noem claimed he approached officers with a gun and came “to kill law enforcement,” insisting “it’s the facts” as reporters questioned how her account matched the footage. His passing followed another ICE killing involving Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good, intensifying accusations of escalation under Noem’s watch and putting the focus on appearance in an uneasy light. While social media provides constant mocking of a woman who appears to be the Trump administration’s Cruella Deville, cable television’s portrayal of her cements her in pop culture satire. In 2025, “South Park” folded Noem directly into its satire, portraying a cartoon version of the Homeland Security secretary with exaggerated makeup and a melting face. The episode leaned into cosmetic rumors already circulating online while also depicting her as cold and unfeeling — a portrayal that went far beyond surface-level jokes. Within a day of the show airing, she updated her profile photo to the same glowing-eyed image the show mocked — a move that landed awkwardly as “South Park” briefly adopted her melting caricature as its own profile image in response. Following Good’s passing, comedian Rosie O’Donnell took aim at Trump’s aide with a blunt three-word jab that quickly spread online, tapping into mounting anger over ICE-related deaths and Noem’s public defense of enforcement actions. The post came without explanation, but supporters filled in the gaps themselves, using O’Donnell’s remark to criticize Noem’s looks, role, question her credibility, and vent broader frustration with an administration they say is escalating consequences while dismissing accountability. In the end, the side-by-side photos didn’t just spark jokes. They revealed how easily her public image has been overtaken by parody, and irritation — a distraction that continues to travel faster than conversations about the work that should define her. Whether her makeover was just hair and makeup or if she had some work done to make her fit into the president’s world, Noem is now one of the most recognizable women in American politics. ‘OMG Is That Really Her?’: Kristi Noem Photos Shock Fans Who Say She’s Come a Long Way with a ‘New Face and Flammable Hair Extensions’ ...read more read less