South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as the secretary of homeland security. Trump praised Noem for her strong stance on border security, highlighting her deployment of National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border multiple times. If confirmed by the Senate, she will oversee immigration enforcement agencies such as U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Noem, a rising figure in Trump’s GOP, has faced controversy in the past. In 2022, she was found to have improperly intervened to help her daughter obtain real estate appraiser certification. She was also banned from tribal lands in South Dakota after suggesting that Native American leaders were benefiting from drug cartels. Noem’s memoir included fabricated stories about meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and canceling a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
In her book, Noem also recounted killing her dog and a goat to show her ability to handle difficult situations. The anecdote was poorly received, with Noem blaming “fake news” for the backlash. Despite her lack of experience in homeland security, Noem’s nomination reflects Trump’s commitment to carrying out his tough immigration policies. If confirmed, she will face the challenge of overseeing immigration enforcement in a deeply polarized political environment.
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