Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday denied that her department is considering sponsoring a reality show in which immigrants would compete for U.S. citizenship, seeming to contradict the department spokesperson’s comments that the pitch was “in the very beginning states” of the vetting process.
“We have no knowledge of a reality show,” Noem said during a hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “There may have been something submitted to the department, but I did not know anything about this reality show until the reporter reached out.”
The pitch submitted by Rob Worsoff, a Canadian-born writer, producer and director, for a show titled “The American,” was first reported on Thursday by The Daily Mail, which claimed Noem was a fan of the concept.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin later told HuffPost the pitch was “in the very beginning stages” of the department’s vetting process, but stressed that Noem had never been briefed on the proposal.
“Secretary Noem has not ‘backed’ or even reviewed the pitch of any scripted or reality show,” McLaughlin added.
