WASHINGTON — In a stunning escalation of internal friction within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem has alleged that members of her own staff engaged in a systemic “deep state” surveillance campaign against her, using unauthorized spyware to monitor her communications and record high-level meetings.
The allegations, first detailed during an appearance on the PBD Podcast hosted by Patrick Bet-David and later echoed on her official social media accounts, come as Noem prepares to depart the agency following her March 5 firing by President Donald Trump.
Musk-Led Investigation Uncovers Breach
According to Noem, the security breach was identified not by the agency’s internal IT or counterintelligence divisions, but by technology experts associated with Elon Musk.
Musk’s team was granted access to DHS systems earlier this year as part of a White House-authorized initiative to identify departmental efficiencies. Noem credited this external team with discovering that surveillance software had been installed on her government-issued phone and laptop, as well as on devices belonging to several other “politicals”—referring to administration appointees within the department.
“They helped me identify that some of my own employees had downloaded software on my phone and my laptop to spy on me, to record our meetings,” Noem stated during the interview. She further claimed that the individuals responsible were subsequently “brought in, polygraphed, and fired.”
Secret Files and Unidentified Facilities
The outgoing Secretary also disclosed the discovery of a “secret file room” located on an unspecified university campus. Noem described the facility as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) containing documents that “nobody knew about.”
According to Noem, the cache included files related to:
- The COVID-19 pandemic response.
- Investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.
- Classified records regarding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Noem stated that the files were turned over to attorneys after a DHS employee flagged the existence of the locked, off-book room. The department has not provided a formal response or a detailed inventory of the documents allegedly recovered.
A Tenure Defined by Turmoil
The allegations serve as a final, explosive chapter to Noem’s brief and controversial tenure as the nation’s top security official. Her departure follows a series of crises, including:
- Minneapolis Shootings: The fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in January, which Noem initially labeled as “domestic terrorism” before bystander video challenged the official narrative.
- Budget Shutdown: A 20-day partial DHS funding lapse driven by a congressional stalemate over immigration enforcement tactics.
- Legal Challenges: A class-action lawsuit filed in Maine on February 23, 2025, which accuses Noem and the DHS of using facial recognition and license plate readers to unconstitutionally intimidate and track legal observers.
The “Deep State” Narrative
Critics of the administration have expressed alarm over the level of access afforded to Elon Musk’s private team, suggesting that bypassing established federal security protocols to examine government devices could itself pose a significant civil liberties risk.
However, Noem has framed the incident as evidence of a “deep state” operating within the federal bureaucracy to undermine the administration’s agenda. “Performing my role as Secretary of Homeland Security has shown me just how real and dangerous the deep state really is,” Noem wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
President Trump has announced Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) as Noem’s successor. Noem is expected to transition into a new role as a “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” focused on Western Hemisphere security initiatives, effective March 31.
