
Following lawmakers’ approval Saturday, officials tapped two-term South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be America’s new Secretary of Homeland Security.
Noem, 53, earned the needed number of votes from senators Saturday and was confirmed with a vote of 59-34, the Department of Homeland Security announced in a news release. The move makes her the third of President Donald Trump’s nominees to now be confirmed.
Noem’s confirmation by the Senate comes on the heels of Trump’s second oath of office and less than a week after her respective committee hearing this month.
Prior to her confirmation, Noem served as South Dakota’s 33rd and first-ever female governor.
A rancher, farmer, and small business owner before moving into the governor’s mansion, Noem served in the state’s legislature for years. She was later elected to serve as The Mount Rushmore State’s sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Here’s what to know about Noem:
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Where was Kristi Noem born?
Noem’s full name is Kristi Lynn Arnold Noem and she was born in 1971 in Watertown, in east central South Dakota.
The city is in Codington County about 187 miles northeast of the state’s capital Pierre.
Who is Kristi Noem married to?
The new Secretary of Homeland Security is married to Bryon Noem.
The couple married in 1992 and share three children: Kassidy Noem, Kennedy Noem, and Booker Noem.
According to the Argus Leader, part of the USA TODAY Network, Noem’s husband owns the insurance firm, Noem Insurance LLC, of which he is listed as the sole shareholder.
What did Noem say after her confirmation?
Trump nominated Noem, his longtime ally, on Nov. 12 for the role central in his task to crack down on the number of immigrants entering the U.S. illegally.
Following her confirmation, Noem thanked the president on X for trusting her to serve as the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
“I will work to make America safe again,” Noem posted on the social media app.
Noem also released the following statement:
“As the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, I will work every day to keep all Americans safe and secure. One of my top priorities is achieving President Trump’s mandate from the American people to secure our southern border and fix our broken immigration system.
“The Trump Administration will once-again empower our brave men and women in law enforcement to do their jobs and remove criminal aliens and illegal gangs from our country. We will fully equip our intelligence and law enforcement to detect and prevent terror threats and will deliver rapid assistance and disaster relief to Americans in crisis.
“I thank President Trump and the US Senate for their trust in me. Together, we will ensure that the United States, once again, is a beacon of freedom, safety, and security for generations to come.”
On Saturday, several of South Dakota’s Republican legislative leaders congratulated Noem following her confirmation on X.
Who is South Dakota’s governor now?
Larry Rhoden, the right-hand man of South Dakota’s first female governor, Kristi Noem, has officially succeeded to the state’s highest office.
Previously the 39th lieutenant governor of South Dakota, Rhoden received Noem’s official resignation as governor on Saturday, the Argus Leader reported.
When did Kristi Noem enter politics?
Noem began her political career when she served in the state House of Representatives between 2007 to 2011.
She later joined Congress, representing the state’s at-large district until 2019, when she became the first female South Dakota governor. She was later reelected in 2022 with the largest vote total in the state’s history, according to the governor’s office website.
Outside of politics, Noem is also a rancher, farmer and small-business owner, according to the website. She is also a New York Times bestselling author with multiple books, including her first “Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from the Heartland,” published in January 2022.
Last May, her latest book, “No Going Back,” published revealing several stories about her personal and professional journey including the infamous dog controversy.
Why did Kristi Noem kill her dog Cricket?
Noem wrote in “No Going Back” that she killed her dog because of its “aggressive personality” and called the dog “untrainable,” according to The Guardian.
She wrote that the dog, named Cricket, was a 14-month-old wirehair pointer.
Noem responded to the criticisms on X for what she called a necessary decision, saying that “Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did.” She also cited South Dakota law that allows owners to put down dogs that attack and kill livestock.
“Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. Even if it’s hard and painful. I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor,” she wrote in the April 28 post. “As I explained in the book, it wasn’t easy. But often the easy way isn’t the right way.
What is the false anecdote from her book?
Cricket’s death was not the only controversy to come out of the book. The book also included an anecdote that she had met reclusive North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un during her time in Congress. The story was later revealed to be false and part of an attempt to boost her foreign policy bona fides.
“I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un,” she wrote in the book. “I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor, after all).”
Noem’s spokesperson later confirmed to Politico and other news outlets that the story is not accurate and it was later removed from the book.
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What are other Kristi Noem controversies?
Beyond the book, Noem has been criticized for deploying the state National Guard to the southern border last year to combat illegal immigration but opposed sending troops to aid areas reeling from historic devastating floods.
Last summer, all nine South Dakota tribes officially endorsed Noem’s banishment from their lands after she made disparaging remarks against Native American parents, saying their children “have no hope,” according to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the USA TODAY Network. Tribal leaders were also upset that Noem “continually pushed claims that Mexican drug cartels have a ‘presence’ on South Dakota Indian reservations,” the Argus Leader reported.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.