Kristi Noem, the South Dakota Governor, has been confirmed as the Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration, becoming the third of his nominees successfully placed in office. With a conclusive 59-34 Senate vote, she follows Marco Rubio, who secured the position of Secretary of State, and Pete Hegseth, controversially voted 51-50 as Secretary of Defense with JD Vance casting the decisive vote. The confirmations come swiftly after Trump’s second inauguration and mere days after these contenders had their committee hearings.
Interesting to note that despite her Republican affiliation, Noem managed to gain an endorsement from several Democrats, unlike Hegseth’s polarizing appointment. The Senate vote interestingly saw agreement across party lines, as Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and both senators of Michigan, Gary Peters and Elise Slotkin, threw their support behind Noem.
As the appointed head, Noem’s responsibilities will largely encompass aiding in the execution of Trump’s campaign promise – the bold agenda to deport unauthorized immigrants. The implementation strategies of this potentially controversial agenda may be the crux of her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security.
Before her cabinet appointment, Noem sailed to her second term as South Dakota’s governor. Her political journey began in 2006, gaining her the 6th District seat in the South Dakota House of Representatives and serving until 2010. She actively contributed to agricultural, gun legislation, and property tax discussions during her tenure.
Post-assembly, Noem successfully overshadowed U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin for South Dakota’s single House seat, previously held by the Democratic party since 2004. Completing four terms in Washington earmarked her as a noteworthy candidate in the political landscape.
In 2018, Noem embarked on her first gubernatorial campaign, outpacing Attorney General Marty Jackley in the Republican primaries and barely outdoing then-Senate Minority Leader Billie Sutton. Her victory inaugurated her as South Dakota’s first female governor on January 5, 2019.
Under her leadership, Noem secured reelection in November 2022 defeating South Dakota House Minority Leader Jamie Smith and garnering a significant 61.9% of the votes.
Throughout her gubernatorial journey, Noem has consistently appeared as a steadfast Trump ally, endorsing him early for the 2024 presidential run and rejecting the legitimacy of his 2020 defeat to Biden. Her loyalty earned her Trump’s endorsement in her reelection and speculation around her becoming his potential 2024 running mate.
Noem boasts several legislative achievements during her term as governor, including signing a bill in March 2024 preventing ‘evil foreign governments’, including China, from owning agricultural land in the state. This move followed a botched attempt in 2023 to obstruct China from purchasing South Dakota’s farmland.
Another significant aspect of Noem’s governance was the order she issued in November 2022, prohibiting state employees and contractors from using TikTok on state-owned devices, citing its links to China. Noem stated, ‘South Dakota will have no part in the intelligence gathering operations of nations who hate us’, marking a hardline stance against foreign interference.
Moreover, under her administration, the state unemployment rate consistently remained low, a fact she proudly emphasized during her State of the State Address. In 2020, when Trump expanded unemployment benefits due to layoffs following the COVID-19 shutdowns, she was the lone governor to decline the aid, claiming South Dakotans did not require it.
Noem’s governorship also saw the prohibiting of critical race theory in the state’s K-12 schools and the elimination of requirements for concealed-carry permits for firearms, further underlining her inclination towards conservative values.
As the newly appointed Secretary, Noem will be supervising a workforce of hundreds of thousands, tasked with securing the southern border where Trump has declared a national emergency. With ICE playing a pivotal role in fulfilling Trump’s campaign promise of deporting unauthorized immigrants, her tenure will be an intriguing watch.