Kristi Noem’s Stolen Purse at a Burger Joint Is Still a Washington Mystery

It is the mystery that has gripped Washington.

On Sunday night, Kristi Noem, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, was dining downtown at Capital Burger with her family when a thief snatched her purse out from under her chair.

The culprit scored, big time: The bag contained Ms. Noem’s driver’s license, medication, apartment keys, blank checks, department badge, passport and $3,000 in cash.

The Capital Burger caper made for capital farce — the top official charged with patrolling the nation’s borders and protecting it from terrorist threats, burgled in plain view of her security detail. That it happened to Ms. Noem, of all cabinet officials, only added to the drama.

In an administration full of ready-for-TV characters, Ms. Noem stands out. Last year, she drew attention for writing in her autobiography about shooting her dog who proved “untrainable” and “dangerous.” More recently, she made headlines for wearing a $50,000 gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch while touring a notorious prison in El Salvador. In the photos and videos she posts in her role as homeland security secretary, she wears tactical gear, poses with guns and accompanies border agents on missions to nab migrants; even some of President Trump’s allies have characterized many of her actions as little more than stunts.

The robbery was common knowledge among the lunchtime crowd this week at Capital Burger, a pub that sits in the shadow of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. It’s the kind of place with a giant pretzel and “kung pao” brussels sprouts on the menu.

“It’s a little weird,” said John Lauck, 28, who said he worked for the military and was in town from Texas. “I don’t know why anybody would have that much money on them.”