PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — Governor Kristi Noem took to social media on Tuesday night to confirm that President-elect Donald Trump has offered her the post of secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Her communications director Ian Fury pointed out her statement on X in an email.
“I am honored and humbled that President Donald J. Trump has selected me to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. I look forward to working with Border Czar Tom Homan to make America SAFE again. With Donald Trump, we will secure the border and restore safety to American communities so families will again have the opportunity to pursue the American Dream,” Noem stated.
She posted below it an official release issued through Trump-Vance transitional spokesperson Karoline Leavitte in which Trump congratulates Noem.
“Kristi has been very strong on Border Security. She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times,” Trump said. “She will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the Border, and will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries.
“I have known Kristi for years, and have worked with her on a wide variety of projects. She will be a great part of our mission to Make America Safe Again,” Trump’s statement concluded.
The Republican Governors Association Chair, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, issued a statement congratulating Noem on being nominated.
“Governor Noem has stood on the front lines with Republican Governors as states have stepped up to lead in addressing the border crisis,” Lee stated. “President Trump and Governor Noem will have our full support as we all work together to make America safe and secure once again.”
South Dakota Democratic Party chair Shane Merrill said Noem lacks the qualifications to lead Homeland Security.
“Her years as South Dakota’s governor have proven that she is not equipped to lead such a critical department that safeguards the security of the American people,” Merrill said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
He pointed to allegations that she misused her office to help a daughter that resulted in a settlement costing state government $200,000 and that she currently is banned from all nine tribal reservations in South Dakota because of statements she’s made about drug cartels on tribal land and that Native children “don’t have any hope.”
“She used taxpayer money to send the National Guard to the US/Mexico border for publicity stunts. Her administration has seen constant turnover and she has eroded government transparency. Our state government is also in the middle of corruption investigations involving former state employees. These scandals show that Gov. Noem does not have what it takes to lead a federal department,” Merrill’s statement said.
