Everything We Know About Kristi Noem, Trump's Controversial New Homeland Security Secretary

The following article includes mention of animal abuse and gun violence. 

As Donald Trump continues to fill his cabinet, the president-elect has nominated his new Homeland Security secretary. It seems, however, that this is yet another choice that is giving folks pause. Trump has chosen South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and while it isn't surprising that he plans to put the 52-year-old governor in his cabinet, she comes along with a past full of controversy.

Noem, a former beauty queen, won the title of South Dakota Snow Queen in 1990. She went on to join the South Dakota legislature, and in 2010, she became the only member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing South Dakota. In 2018, she was the first woman to become the governor of South Dakota, and she was re-elected in 2022. Noem's website explains her following core values: "keeping taxes low, limiting government regulation, fighting government intrusion, and keeping government open and honest." While the hope of a non-intrusive, honest government may not seem particularly aligned with Trump's plans for his presidency, Noem has been supporting his presidential run from the start, and it's clear that the support is mutual. Still, while Trump and Noem are likely thrilled that she'll be taking over the department of Homeland Security, this plan will surely have its critics due to Noem's past. Here's everything we know about the newly nominated Homeland Security secretary.

Kristi Noem has had no shortage of controversies over the course of her career. Yet, there's one, in particular, that garnered a lot of attention. In 2024, Noem's book "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward" was published. In the book, she recalled taking her her 14-month-old wirehair pointer, Cricket, on a hunting trip. During the trip, Cricket bit her, per the Daily Mail. Noem asserted, "I hated that dog," and revealed, "At that moment, realized I had to put her down." Noem described Cricket as " the picture of joy" at that time, and she proceeded to invite the dog to a pit where she shot and killed her.

While a fluke dog murder isn't excusable, it's worth noting that Noem's penchant for animal cruelty took more lives than just Cricket's. She also had a "nasty and mean" goat. She reportedly dragged the goat to the same pit where Cricket was killed and shot him, too. When the first bullet didn't kill the goat, Noem proceeded to retrieve another shell to deliver the kill shot — a deed that she happily offered up in her memoir, seemingly with pride. 

Kristi Noem tied the knot with Bryon Noem in 1992, and the couple had three children together. In 2023, sources divulged to the Daily Mail that Kristi was having an affair with former Donald Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski. Lewandowski had also been married since 2005 and had four children with his wife. The affair reportedly started in 2019, if not earlier. In a post on Substack, former Trump operative Charles Johnson divulged that the pair "seemed to be dating despite being married to other people."

Noem's spokesperson denied the affair, implying that the rumors were started simply because the governor had endorsed Trump, saying in a statement, "This is so predictable that you would attack Governor Noem less than a week after she endorsed Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States." This statement came two years after the rumors initially surfaced, and Noem addressed them head-on, writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, "These rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie," and went on to add, "I love Bryon. I'm proud of the God-fearing family we've raised together," per the Daily Mail. This was an important note for Noem to make, since so much of her platform was focused on so-called traditional marriage. She called this "a special, God-given union between one man and one woman," and that certainly shouldn't include a boyfriend on the side. 

It's clear that Donald Trump is a fan of Kristi Noem, since he has tapped her for such an important role in his cabinet. Yet, he actually had Noem in mind for an even more prestigious title before he planned to make her his Homeland Security secretary. Noem was reportedly on Trump's shortlist when it came time to choose his running mate for his 2024 presidential campaign. According to Vanity Fair, in September 2023, Trump joined Noem onstage at an event in North Dakota. Noem gave Trump her endorsement, saying, "I will do everything I can to help him win and save this country."

If this didn't make it clear enough that she was gunning for the VP role, photos posted to X show that a "Trump-Noem 2024" logo was projected on a screen behind them, and folks in the audience held "Trump-Noem 2024" signs. This indicates that Noem was a top pick for Trump's vice president. Yet, it seems that the scandals surrounding her got in the way. Her book, "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward" was published and detailed her history of animal cruelty, and it seems that this kind of PR was too big of a risk for Trump's campaign. 

Over the years, Kristi Noem has also found herself caught up in controversy over her views on transgender rights. In 2022, Noem signed a bill prohibiting transgender girls and women from participating in school girls' sports teams. The following year, she signed a bill into law that banned minors in South Dakota from receiving gender-affirming medical care. In a statement, she said, "South Dakota's kids are our future. With this legislation, we are protecting kids from harmful, permanent medical procedures. I will always stand up for the next generation of South Dakotans."

For obvious reasons, these bills were controversial steps. Ultimately, though, a nonprofit organization called the Transformation Project took action against Noem, and the state of South Dakota was forced to pay up. Noem terminated a contract with the group, causing it to lose a grant of almost $136,000 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The lawsuit asserted that the contract termination was discrimination, and the state of South Dakota ultimately settled and paid $300,000.

According to the Homeland security website, "The Department of Homeland Security has a vital mission: to secure the nation from the many threats we face," and notes border security as an important piece of this. So, it's no accident that Donald Trump nominated a Homeland Security secretary who has been outspoken about her harsh immigration views. In 2021, she took to X to write, "South Dakota won't be taking any illegal immigrants that the Biden Administration wants to relocate. My message to illegal immigrants ... call me when you're an American," per The Hill.

During Trump's first presidency, Noem was forthright in her support of his travel ban on refugees from countries with a majority Muslim population. In 2017, she said, "I share the President's concerns about our ability to screen refugees — especially those from terrorist hotbed areas. I support putting a temporary pause on accepting refugees from terrorist-held areas — at least until the administration can certify that asylum-seekers do not present a safety threat to the U.S." So, it's already abundantly clear what her priorities are likely to be in her new role.