She’s really saying: “The government is broken, and even though I’m part of it, I’m the one trying to fix it.”
Kristi Noem is in the government, but she talks as if she’s not, because that helps her appeal to voters who distrust Washington.
A lot of politicians use this trick:
- They run the system
- But they talk like they’re fighting the system
It lets them:
- avoid blame
- sound relatable
- tap into frustration people already feel
Kristi Noem: “We can't trust our government anymore.”
Bash: “You are the government.”
Noem: “Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”pic.twitter.com/J3JqAQFv0F
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) January 11, 2026