South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem addresses the crowd ahead of Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, at a campaign town hall in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on October 14, 2024. (Matt Rourke/AP)
President-Elect Donald Trump Picks South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to serve as his secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to two sources familiar with the selection.
Noem’s appointment signals Trump’s continued commitment to his tough stance on immigration. The move also ensures that a loyal ally will lead the crucial department, which plays a central role in Trump’s domestic agenda. As part of the new administration, Noem will oversee DHS while two prominent immigration hardliners, Stephen Miller and Tom Homan, are expected to take senior positions, emphasizing the administration's focus on stricter immigration enforcement.
During Trump’s first term, DHS experienced significant instability, with five different leaders, only two of whom were confirmed by the Senate. The agency, which has a budget of $60 billion and employs hundreds of thousands of people, will now be under Noem’s leadership.
Noem, a former U.S. representative, will manage an expansive department responsible for everything from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Secret Service. While South Dakota is not a border state, Noem has built a reputation for advocating tough immigration policies. As a congressional candidate in 2010, she supported a failed Republican attempt to block an Obama administration lawsuit challenging an Arizona immigration law. During Trump’s first term, she also called for punitive measures against "sanctuary cities" that refused to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
As governor, Noem has drawn controversy for her confrontations with indigenous tribes in South Dakota. She criticized tribal leaders for allegedly focusing on profiting from drug cartels instead of prioritizing the welfare of their communities. Her comments led to her being banned from several tribal lands, and as DHS secretary, she would oversee a department involved in federal interactions with tribal nations.
A Longtime Trump Ally
Since becoming governor in 2019, Noem has aligned herself closely with Trump’s political style. She opposed many COVID-19 safety measures, including mask mandates and business closures, and made headlines for her strong defense of gun rights, once mentioning at an NRA event that her 2-year-old grandchild owns multiple firearms. In 2020, Noem made headlines when she presented Trump with a four-foot replica of Mount Rushmore featuring his face alongside the other U.S. presidents. She also became one of the earliest governors to endorse Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Trump has praised Noem as a “terrific person” and at one point considered her a top contender for his vice-presidential pick in 2024. However, she was eventually dropped from that shortlist, and her political fortunes took a hit after the publication of her book, *No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward*. The book included an anecdote in which Noem described how she euthanized her 14-month-old dog, Cricket, because it was "untrainable." The revelation sparked a backlash, but Noem defended the story, framing it as an example of her ability to make tough decisions when necessary.
Despite the controversy, Noem remains one of Trump’s staunchest allies. In the final weeks of the 2024 campaign, she participated in strategy meetings with Trump, even challenging some of his campaign officials' assessments of the race. She also moderated a notable town hall in October, where Trump danced to music for over 30 minutes, captivating the crowd.
This story has been updated with additional context.
CNN’s Michelle Shen contributed to this report.
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