In the End, Noem Done In by Unending 'Drama'

Kristi Noem gave her opponents plenty of ammo to work with, as a Wall Street Journal investigation previously revealed. The New York Times has a further catalog, dealing not only with controversial moves as head of the Department of Homeland Security (including labeling protesters "domestic terrorists") but with her "self-promotional approach" to running the department. That started early, with her display of a pricey Rolex while touring a notorious prison in El Salvador. But much coverage in the wake of her firing by President Trump on Thursday has centered on a $220 million ad campaign she orchestrated. Details:

• The campaign: Watch one of the ads at the Hill. The video features Noem on a horse near Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the state where she served as governor. "You cross the border illegally, we'll find you," Noem says at one point. "Break our laws, we'll punish you. Harm American citizens, there will be consequences. But if you come here the right way, your American dream can be as big as these endless skies. From President Trump and me, welcome home." One big focus of the campaign was encouraging undocumented migrants to self-deport.

• Trump split: Noem was asked directly during her Senate testimony this week if Trump had approved the ad campaign—its high price raised eyebrows amid budget cuts elsewhere—and she said he had. But Trump later told Reuters that he didn't know about the campaign in advance and didn't particularly like it.
• A factor: The controversy over the expensive ad campaign factored into her firing, reports the Atlantic, along with allegations of an extramarital affair with top aide Corey Lewandowski. "Replacing Kristi was based on the culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures," an administration official tells the outlet. "Kristi's drama sadly overshadowed and distracted" from the administration's focus on immigration.
• 'Final straw:' A CNN analysis sees her comments about the ad campaign before the Senate panel as the "final straw" for her. The piece reports that Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy informed the White House in advance that he would not go easy on Noem, and he is the one who asked the question about whether Trump had signed off on the ad campaign. Kennedy suggested in his line of questions that Noem was promoting herself over Trump. The senator later told CNN that the president was angry about her answer.
• Bad headlines: The BBC has its own list of Noem controversies, including the purchase of luxury jets for DHS and even the infamous killing of her dog.