The Houston Chronicle editorial board torched Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a blistering column criticizing her handling of the devastating Texas floods, sarcastically headlined:
“Heck of a job, Secretary Noem.”
In a piece dripping with scorn, the paper likened Noem’s sluggish federal response to bureaucratic indifference—and accused her of prioritizing budget cuts over basic disaster relief.
“Judging by recent reporting on the Hill Country floods,” the board wrote, “some officials in Washington are more focused on saving cash than helping Texans recover.”
The floods, which tore through Central Texas earlier this month, claimed at least 134 lives, including 27 children and staff members from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp.
But the Chronicle placed the lion’s share of the blame on Noem, pointing to damning reports that calls to FEMA from flood victims went unanswered due to budget slashes implemented by her department.
“Leaving disaster victims on hold isn’t governmental efficiency,” the editorial stated. “It’s heartless.”
The paper also hammered Noem over reports that she waited 72 hours after the flooding began to authorize FEMA deployment.
“Why the delay? Self-imposed government red tape,” the editorial said, noting that Noem had personally required all federal emergency expenses over $100,000—including rescue team dispatches—to be individually reviewed and approved by her office.
Noem, often mocked as “ICE Barbie” for her theatrical dressing in law enforcement uniforms, has denied the reports—but the editorial didn’t hold back.
It concluded with a cutting comparison to the infamous mishandling of Hurricane Katrina:
“Trump’s claim that Noem was ‘right on the ball’ is just his version of, ‘Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.’”
That reference recalls President George W. Bush’s disastrous praise of FEMA Director Michael D. Brown in 2005—a soundbite that became a symbol of federal failure during national crisis.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor Noem’s office responded to media inquiries about the editorial.
Trump, when asked if he had a message for the grieving families of Camp Mystic, offered a rambling response:
“There can be nothing worse than losing a child, and the way this happened… there was very early warning, they warned the day before, they warned even two days before, they warned four hours before…”
The Chronicle wasn’t convinced. With lives lost and basic protocols fumbled, the editorial leaves no doubt: Texas deserved better.