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By Rachael O'Connor
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Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem faced questions and criticism at a public hearing on Wednesday, with one representative's stance going viral—for the pin he wore on his collar.
Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida appeared to take aim at Noem while questioning her on March 4. He wore a pin on his lapel with the words: "Justice for Cricket." Newsweek has contacted Moskowitz and Noem for comment on this story.
It appears to be a reference to a passage in Noem's book, where she describes her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer dog Cricket as "untrainable" and "less than worthless as a hunting dog."
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In the book—No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, published in 2024—Noem revealed she shot her dog after it killed a family's chickens.
She recalled taking Cricket on a pheasant hunt with older dogs to calm the animal and help it learn how to behave. But on the hunt, Cricket went "out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life," before killing the chickens on the way home after escaping the truck.
Claiming the dog was "dangerous," she wrote about the moment she got her gun and shot the dog dead.
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"At that moment," Noem wrote. "I realized I had to put her down. It was not a pleasant job, but it had to be done."
It caused major controversy at the time, sparking a wave of backlash including from her fellow Republicans.
The internet quickly reacted to Moskowitz's pin, with X user @squirrelranger1, who has criticized the MAGA movement on his account, saying the congressman is "REALLY good at what he does."
User @LynnMaryKarjala, who has shared support for progressive politics, described it as "first-class trolling."
Others weren't impressed however, with user @maryellenpeter1, who asked why the congressman had to "join in," and urged him to "be a leader, not a follower."
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Moskowitz himself reposted reactions to the pin on his X account, @JaredEMoskowitz, including one which read: "Lol...He's petty and I love it."
It comes as the Department of Homeland Security faces scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers following the reported purchase of six Boeing 737 aircraft, including a $70-million jet that may be used for travel by Noem.
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy on Tuesday asked the Government Accountability Office to review whether the DHS had the legal authority and funding to purchase six aircraft for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while Senate Judiciary Committee members grilled Noem about the luxury jet, and more than 40 House Democrats urged the White House to block the department’s purchase.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis also criticized her leadership of the DHS by comparing it to her decision to kill the puppy.
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