Kristi Noem said Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team helped identify spyware on phones and computers used by her and other political appointees at DHS.
She framed the disclosure as part of broader efforts to confront internal problems and restore operational standards under the Trump administration.
While speaking with Valuetainment host Patrick Bet-David, Noem described the discovery and credited Musk for assistance in detecting the threat.
She wrote in an X post that performing her role revealed how real and dangerous the deep state is.
She said Musk helped find that a few DHS staff had installed spying software on the phones and computers of herself and other political hires.
Noem said her team found secret, secure rooms with hidden files that were turned over to attorneys.
She added that under President Trump DHS is returning to the standard of excellence and behavior expected of our government agencies and that they will root out actors who do not have America’s interests in mind.
The spyware appears to have been placed by a small number of DHS staff, though specific identities and technical details have not been released publicly.
Noem mentioned concealed rooms containing hidden files that were provided to legal counsel for review.
The incident raised serious questions about internal security at the agency charged with protecting federal networks and critical infrastructure.
Musk has not issued a separate public statement addressing Noem’s disclosure as of this report.
The episode fits within DOGE’s examinations of data systems at multiple agencies, including the Treasury Department, the Office of Personnel Management, and DHS components such as FEMA.
Those activities have continued after Musk’s departure from the White House last year.
Earlier in 2025 Noem confirmed on television that President Trump explicitly authorized Musk’s access to DHS information for efficiency-related purposes.
Details remain sparse, though Noem noted the involved employees were fired.
Noem said she had long believed a deep state existed and that she never would have imagined it was as bad as it is.
