# What is "Shield Of The Americas" and what does its Envoy do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 5, 2026, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241 "2026-03-05T22:46:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/21 "2026-03-06T02:01:20Z")
I hope someone tells her that this position entitles her to an invisible airplane. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/22 "2026-03-06T02:05:00Z")
> [@CoolHandCox](#): > > Here, since this is not a real federal agency Noem is being appointment to, there cannot be an actual position… So, no budget? How will she buy her love jet? ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/23 "2026-03-06T02:08:55Z")
A made up job so she can keep being paid and therefore keep her mouth shut. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/24 "2026-03-06T02:55:13Z")
I wonder if there will be a costume budget so she can keep up the cosplay. [![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G-w8VT9b0AAnJYU?format=jpg&name=large) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G-w8VT9b0AAnJYU?format=jpg&name=large) ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/25 "2026-03-06T03:02:51Z")
She will be replacing Nick Fury, an obvious DEI hire. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/26 "2026-03-06T03:14:42Z")
I assume she’ll have Corey Lewandowski bitten by a radioactive spider in order to develop his superpowers. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/27 "2026-03-06T05:51:44Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > A made up job so she can keep being paid and therefore keep her mouth shut. From whose budget? Hopefully she’s being paid in made up money. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/28 "2026-03-06T05:58:46Z")
It’s a real job in the same way DOGE was a real Cabinet department. ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/29 "2026-03-06T07:35:54Z")
Now that’s a terrifying thought. Just because it’s not a real position doesn’t mean she can’t keep fucking up things in the real world? DOGE wasn’t a real department either, that didn’t stop Musk from doing a lot of real world damage. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/30 "2026-03-06T10:42:40Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I hope someone tells her that this position entitles her to an invisible airplane. And that it’s directly below the airplane she’s currently on, and she can just jump down to it. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/31 "2026-03-06T10:47:25Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So how does the “Shield of the Americas” respond when a certain North American country attacks a certain South American country? The certain North American country hides behind it’s shield. What other purpose could there be in this gilt age? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/32 "2026-03-06T11:37:20Z")
It’s like the Aegis of Greek myth, except the Gorgon’s _behind_ the shield. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/33 "2026-03-06T12:56:21Z")
I heartily approve of this statement. I think “Shield of the Americas” (SotA) is second cousin to the United Network Command for Law Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.) ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/34 "2026-03-06T14:34:44Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > She will be replacing Nick Fury, an obvious DEI hire. Her new office will be based in Tahiti. It’s a magical place. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/35 "2026-03-06T15:02:40Z")
As others have noted, who is funding this “Shield”? If she draws a salary, or there is any office space, staff, or resources assigned to it, it must be accounted for in someone’s budget somewhere. Not sure how much they could get away with trying to slip it under DHS’s slush funds - the equivalent of “petty cash.” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/36 "2026-03-06T15:12:12Z")
Perhaps one of Trump’s grandchildren read a Captain America comic book, described it to him and his misinterpretation of that led to Shield of the Americas? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/37 "2026-03-06T15:55:41Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > She will be replacing Nick Fury, an obvious DEI hire. Nah, Nick Fury was a white guy. You’re thinking of Nick Fury Jr. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/38 "2026-03-06T16:04:03Z")
Shield is not a real thing yet, so we don’t know anything about it. It’s a concept. But you’re correct, it must be accounted for in a budget (or unpaid which is common). Generally, advisory type “departments”, which this would be, are paid through existing funding. For example, DOGE was just an advisory “department” to the President. DOGE staff was a mixed bag of paid and unpaid. Current employees from the WH/other agencies were transferred to help DOGE and paid via their regular job salary (Musk himself was an unpaid advisor). Brand new employees who did not exist in Gov’t could have been paid by Executive Office funding. Advisory departments can’t do anything except give advice. The actual departments / non-advisors can follow it or not. For Noem, she will not be working at DHS anymore and that salary will stop. She’d likely need to be an unpaid advisor or paid as a WH employee. It’s possible she could be a paid advisor to some actual real Department, even re-hired by DHS. Funds would come from that specific Dept - they would have pre-existing funds that can be used to hire an advisor if they want/need to. With that said, again, we don’t know anything about this concept so it’s just guessing. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/39 "2026-03-06T16:09:16Z")
Crazy ideas like this are the product of Trump’s warped mind; now it’s up to rational people in the government (meaning none of his appointees) to make sense of it. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241/40 "2026-03-06T16:11:57Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > [@rsat3acr](#): > > > > A made up job so she can keep being paid and therefore keep her mouth shut. > > From whose budget? Hopefully she’s being paid in made up money. She’ll be paid in TrumpCoin, or whatever the orange emperor’s crypto currency is called. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shield-of-the-americas-and-what-does-its-envoy-do/1028241.md?page=3)