Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem repeatedly dodged basic questions as Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif) pressed her on Wednesday about obvious edits to a photo of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s tattoos.
“Madam Secretary, I have a 7-year-old, a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old. I have a bullshit detector. I’m just asking you: Is this doctored or not doctored?” asked Swalwell during a Homeland Security committee hearing.
The picture — which President Donald Trump notably flashed in the Oval Office before insisting it was the real deal — shows the characters “M,” “S,” “1” and “3” digitally added to a photo of tattoos on the knuckles of the Maryland man, who was mistakenly deported to a Salvadoran prison.
“Madam Secretary, you agree that the letters ‘MS’ and the number 13 in Times Roman Numeral font, that they are doctored on this photo, right?” asked Swalwell, who emphasized that he wanted to put the matter “to rest” moments earlier.
“Congressman, Abrego Garcia —,” Noem began before Swalwell interjected.
“No, no, I’m just asking about this — this photo,” Swalwell said.
Noem’s efforts to dodge questions on the snap arrive in the same week that the Trump administration reportedly told a court overseeing Abrego Garcia’s case that it’s working to release him from Salvadoran custody.
Noem also flouted a Supreme Court order to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return last week, declaring that there was “no scenario” he would come back to the United States.
On Wednesday, she turned to a Trump administration claim that Abrego Garcia is a “known member” of the MS-13 gang despite his family and attorneys denying such accusations.
“It wasn’t based off of tattoos. It was based off an entire case,” Noem said.
“I’ll accept that. For the purpose of this question. You agree, though, that this is doctored, is that right?” replied Swalwell as he pointed to the printed photo held by Trump at his desk.
“The same protocols that are applied to every —,” Noem continued before Swalwell interjected again.
“Madam Secretary, I want you to have credibility, and I want you to be taken seriously, is this doctored or is it not doctored?” he asked.
“Sir, I am taking [it] quite seriously because the —,” said Noem, later claiming that she didn’t have “any knowledge” about the tattoo photo.