Kristi Noem Abruptly Ends Presser After Being Pressed on Laser Strike on Party Balloons

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly ended a Friday news conference on election security after she was questioned about the Tuesday late-night closure of El Paso’s airspace and whether U.S. Customs and Border Protection “actually hit a party balloon that it thought was a drone with a laser.”

“Can you confirm that CBP actually hit a party balloon that it thought was a drone with a laser earlier this week?” questioned a reporter. “If that is true, why wasn’t the action coordinated with the FAA?”

According to a report published Wednesday by NBC News, the temporary shutdown of El Paso’s airspace came after “U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials used an anti-drone laser that was provided by the military to shoot down objects that were later identified as party balloons… without coordinating with officials from the Federal Aviation Administration.”

The “temporary flight restriction notice,” which hasn’t been employed since the Sept. 11 attacks, would have closed the airspace for ten days, preventing “flights, including helicopters used for medical transport, below 18,000 feet.”

However, just hours later on Wednesday morning, the airspace was reopened, leading to what NBC described as “confusion and finger-pointing inside [President Donald Trump’s] administration over who was to blame.”

“You know, this was a joint agency task force, um, mission that was undertaken,” said Noem during her Friday presser. “And, um, we’re continuing to work on the communication through that, but recognize we’re grateful for the partnership of the Department of War and the FAA as we go forward.”

While the reporter who initially questioned Noem can be heard asking for a “follow-up,” the Homeland Security secretary quickly said, “Thank you. Sorry,” before moving away from the podium.

Initially, on Wednesday, a Trump administration official told NBC News journalist Garrett Haake that the closure was due to the presence of Mexican cartel drones that have since been “disabled” by the military.

The incident marks the latest in a week riddled with controversy for Noem. On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal published a report on the Department of Homeland Security detailing backstabbing, retaliatory firings, ethical concerns, and a widely circulated rumor of a romantic relationship between Noem and her top adviser, Corey Lewandowski.

On Friday, in response to the WSJ takedown, conservative commentator Meghan McCain asked on X, “How does Kristi Noem still have a job?!”

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