Donald Trump‘s Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is finally dishing the details about exactly what happened when she was robbed on Easter Sunday.
‘It was kind of shocking, actually, because it was sitting right by my feet,’ the secretary said of her purse being stolen while she was out at dinner earlier this week.
Noem had so far stayed relatively quiet about her robbery. She has hardly said a thing about a man making off with her bag other than confirming it happened and that the situation was still unresolved.
While dining with her family and grandchildren at The Capital Burger in downtown Washington, D.C., a man in a medical mask was able to sneak off with her Gucci bag.
It contained roughly $3,000 in cash, Noem’s makeup bag, driver’s license, passport, medication, apartment keys, DHS access badge and some blank checks.
Reports indicate that the man sat alone at a table next to the secretary and was able to snatch her purse while no one was looking.
‘He hooked it with his foot and dragged it a few steps away and dropped a coat over it and took it,’ Noem, 53, revealed during a recent appearance on The Vince Show, a podcast with Vince Coglianese.
‘I think I was a busy grandma with four grandkids under the age of 4, and I was taking care of them and feeding them food and enjoying my family, yeah, but certainly had my purse even touching my feet,’ she said.
DHS Sec. Kristi Noem had her bag stolen from her table as she dined with her family at The Capital Burger in downtown Washington on Easter Sunday
Kristi Noem, pictured with her daughter and grandchildren
Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem donning a tactical vest before a raid on illegal immigrants
The brazen theft is significant when considering that Noem has an around the clock Secret Service detail watching her every move.
The fact that they were oblivious to the theft raised questions among critics online who wondered how a Cabinet member was able to be robbed while being protected by agents dedicated to her safety.
As DHS secretary Noem, dubbed ‘ICE Barbie’ for her glam looks and many federal enforcement outfits, is in charge of the safety of the U.S.
She confirmed during the interview that her purse has yet to be returned, which means her passport, DHS security badge and more are still unaccounted for.
The secretary also disclosed that she believes the criminal is a professional.
‘It was professionally done,’ Noem said on the show.
‘It tells me that this happens all the time to people, and that they live in communities where this is a danger,’ she added.
Earlier this week DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told DailyMail.com in a statement that the cash in the purse was for the secretary’s family. Noem was going to give it out as presents for Easter, she said.
Noem shared during her recent interview that her purse has not been found
Noem poses with DHS agents while holding up guns
Noem standing in front of prisoners at El Salvador’s CECOT
‘Her entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren – she was using the cash withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,’ McLaughlin shared.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, whose panel oversees DHS, told DailyMail.com this week he is working with Secret Service to investigate the crime.
‘The Committee is in contact with the Secret Service concerning this brazen theft of Secretary Noem’s belongings this week, and we will continue conducting oversight of the agency to ensure any security lapses are properly and swiftly addressed,’ he shared.
‘The security of our nation’s leaders is a vital part of DHS’ mission, and it must remain a top priority,’ he continued.
DHS confirmed the Secret Service has launched an investigation into the crime.
