Social media turned its sharpest barbs against Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on Friday when he insisted that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, literally ignore the 300,000 children who have gone missing after entering America illegally during Joe Biden’s administration.

Ignore the past, he said.

Why?

Because he wants Noem to focus on the 1,000 children he claims were separated from their families … under President Trump’s first term.

“I’m sorry, can he repeat that – forget about the 300,000 during the past 4 years – let’s go back to Trump’s first time. Blumenthal voters – really you can’t do better than him?” was one response.

“‘Let’s put aside what happened in the past…’ while asking her to comment on things that happened in the past…” was another.

And, “‘Let’s put aside the 300K so I can focus on the 1000 I can try to politically exploit.'”

Blumenthal in his own words:

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: “Will you help me reunite children with their parents who were separated by Trump’s family separation policy?”

KRISTI NOEM: “What I’m alarmed by is the over 300,000 children that went missing during the Biden administration.”

BLUMENTHAL: “Let’s put aside the… pic.twitter.com/j13huXJTjE

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) January 17, 2025

He wanted to know if Noem would help him “reunite children with their parents who were separated by Trump’s family separation policy?”

She pointed out that she was alarmed by the 300,000 children gone missing and untraceable during Biden’s years.

But Blumenthal said not to worry about them.

“Let’s put aside the labels and what happened in the past. There are still 1,000 children who were separated and waiting to be reunited. I’d like your commitment to continuing the effort to reunite them with their parents,” the Democrat said.

Noem admitted that she really is unable to “put aside 300,000 children.”

And she instructed the senator that Trump’s first term never actually had a “family separation” policy, it actually was a “zero tolerance” for criminal activity.

“It said our laws would be followed,” she explained.

She cited the victimization and trafficking to which those children under the Biden administration have been subjected.

“This administration’s lack of desire to find out where those children are, what they may be going through, is alarming to me.”

Blumenthal interrupted with his demands that she “put aside what’s happened in the past.”

Another social media respondent: “I can’t believe he said let’s not linger on the past. Like, let’s not linger on 300,000 missing children? What?”