Kacey Musgraves has hit back at Kristi Noem, after the former Secretary of Homeland Security made a swipe at her online. The Republican politician, who served as Secretary of Homeland Security from 2025 until March 2026 and currently serves as the United States Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, initiated the exchange on X (formerly Twitter).
The conflict began when Noem responded to a post by Democrat James Talarico, which featured a photograph of him meeting the 'I Remember Everything' singer at one of her concerts. In her post, Noem wrote: “I’ll take @ellalangleymusic over Kacey Muscraves any day,” while also expressing a preference for Texas Conservative senate hopeful Ken Paxton over Talarico.
Musgraves responded to the politician with a pointed reference to a widely publicized incident involving Noem, who previously admitted to shooting and killing a 14-month-old puppy she deemed untrainable. “I don’t think you have a dog in this fight but if you did you would have shot it,” Musgraves wrote.
I don’t think you have a dog in this fight but if you did you would have shot it. https://t.co/bI50bahJZu
— K A C E Y (@KaceyMusgraves) October 12, 2026
Musgraves is currently touring in support of her seventh studio album, Middle Of Nowhere, which was released in May via Lost Highway Records. The record has garnered critical attention, including a three-and-a-half-star review from NME, which described it as one of the country star’s “most thematically cohesive records.” The album features collaborations with notable artists such as Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, Billy Strings, and Gregory Alan Isakov.
Beyond her recent musical output, Musgraves has remained active in the public eye, recently paying tribute to the late Dolly Parton during a Boston performance by covering 'Here You Come Again.' Additionally, the singer has expanded her brand through a partnership with wellness company Medicine Mama and has been confirmed for the 2027 Roskilde Festival line-up.