Sources report that President-elect Donald Trump has selected South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to serve as the next Secretary of Homeland Security, tapping a loyal supporter with limited experience in national security to oversee the expansive 260,000-person agency. The Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, is tasked with responsibilities including border security, counterterrorism efforts, and cybersecurity. Noem, currently in her second term as governor after a sweeping reelection in 2022, is known for her refusal to impose a statewide mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic, a decision that gained her national attention and solidified her standing among conservative voters.
Throughout her tenure, Noem made several trips to the U.S.-Mexico border, once describing the area as a “warzone” and underscoring her support for stringent border policies. As governor, she took the unusual step of deploying National Guard troops from South Dakota to aid in Texas's border security efforts, funded in part by a private donation from a Republican billionaire in 2021. Her vocal support for border security aligns closely with Trump's campaign focus on reducing illegal immigration, which he blamed on policies under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Although Noem was previously viewed as a potential vice-presidential pick, her candidacy may have been dampened by recent controversies, such as a memoir revelation that she once shot an "untrainable" dog on her family farm—a statement that drew public backlash and concern from Trump’s advisers. Despite this, Trump’s commitment to an immigration-focused agenda appears undeterred, as he recently appointed former immigration enforcement official Tom Homan as "border czar" and is expected to bring Stephen Miller, an architect of his previous immigration policies, back to the White House as deputy chief of staff for policy. Both Noem's office and Trump’s team have not commented on the nomination, but the choice signals a continuation of Trump’s hardline stance on immigration and border security.
