Kristi Noem Sees Musk’s Chainsaw, and Raises Him One Flamethrower
‘ICE Barbie’ Noem showed off her fiery side.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images
Appearing at CPAC over the weekend, homeland security secretary Kristi Noem joked about having placed an order for chainsaws as part of her plan to overhaul the Department of Homeland Security. “If you don’t own a chainsaw, go buy one,” Noem advised the crowd. “They really are fantastic.” Chainsaws aren’t the only tool of destruction she owns, however (guns, of course, are a given). Noem followed that up with a clip, posted to X, featuring her wielding a flamethrower and setting fire to what looks like a pile of empty cardboard boxes. Accompanying the video was a captioned: “I have a flamethrower if you need help cutting AND burning the government waste!” which tagged both Elon Musk and Argentina’s far-right libertarian President Javier Milei, who gifted Musk the bedazzled chainsaw he waved around onstage at CPAC on Thursday. Who knew dismantling democratic structures was such a physical job?
Hey @elonmusk and @JMilei, I have a flamethrower if you need help cutting AND burning the government waste! https://t.co/Q0GCQfFRIm pic.twitter.com/0Emsc4DRfe
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) February 22, 2025
Unlock a year of full access to The Looker and The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog