Trump picks Kristi Noem to be Homeland Security secretary
Donald Trump has elevated a loyalist who was once considered a possible running mate to flesh out the team that will oversee his immigration agenda.
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, according to people familiar with the matter, elevating a loyalist who was once considered a possible running mate to flesh out the team that will oversee his immigration agenda.
Noem will join Tom Homan, an anti-illegal immigration hardliner who will serve as Trump’s “border tsar”, and Stephen Miller, who will be his deputy chief of staff for policy, in implementing Trump’s campaign-trail promises to crack down on illegal border crossings and conduct the largest mass deportation operation in US history.
A Trump transition spokeswoman and a spokesman for Noem didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. CNN earlier reported that Trump had chosen Noem. Trump has already made several other picks for key positions in his administration.
If confirmed, Noem would oversee an agency with a wide-ranging mission. The department is responsible for natural disasters, cybersecurity and transportation security in addition to its central role in immigration enforcement.
DHS, more than any other agency, saw immense turmoil during Trump’s first term, with five people serving as secretary — only two of them Senate-confirmed. Many of Trump’s favoured immigration policies in the final year of his term were struck down by courts because they were issued by his final Homeland Security Secretary, Chad Wolf, who had been improperly appointed to his role.
Noem was elected in 2018 as South Dakota’s first woman governor. She drew national attention for refusing to institute a mask mandate and reopening schools earlier than many other states — moves that were popular in conservative South Dakota.
As Trump was weighing who he would choose to be his running mate, Noem came under criticism when she revealed in her book that she shot a poorly behaved family dog on her farm.
But Noem, who represented her state in Congress for eight years before becoming governor, has proven to be a vocal Trump supporter. “He will never stop fighting for us,” she said during a speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee over the summer.
In 2021, Noem sent 50 national guard soldiers to the Southern border, and expressed concern about allowing Afghan refugees evacuated after the fall of Kabul to resettle in her state.
South Dakota in late 2022 banned TikTok on state government-owned or leased devices, becoming one of the first states in the country to impose restrictions on the popular social-media platform.
Noem is an opponent of abortion, and the procedure is prohibited in South Dakota, except to save the mother’s life. Voters in the state rejected a ballot measure that would have loosened the state’s abortion restrictions.
Dow Jones
‘Let Trump be Trump’: Opponents happy to let him crash and burn
The US president-elect has outlined an ambitious agenda, but his opponents are aware he is prone to ignoring the possible downsides of his rhetoric, decisions and policies.
Carter’s post-presidency achievements make him great
The arguments over his presidency will continue. Good, bad or mediocre – it’s a matter of opinion but in his 43 years of service after his time ran out in the White House, Jimmy Carter, a good man driven by his profound Christian belief, became great.