Trump confirms South Dakota's Kristi Noem as Homeland Security pick
Trump confirms South Dakota's Kristi Noem as Homeland Security pick
Governor makes statement about joining president-elect's cabinet; appointment requires Senate confirmation
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for appointment to lead one of the United States’ most powerful government agencies.
The Republican president, who last week won back the White House in a landslide election, has confirmed the 52-year-old is his choice for Homeland Security secretary, issuing a statement Tuesday evening commending his longtime ally for her commitment to securing the country’s southern border.
“I have known Kristi for years, and have worked with her on a wide variety of projects,” Trump said in the statement. “She will be a great part of our mission to Make America Safe Again.”
Trump’s remarks come less than 24 hours after CNN first reported the governor and former congresswoman would be announced as a member of a second Trump administration, citing two sources within the transition team. Trump has already tapped longtime advisor Stephen Miller to serve in the department, and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) head Tom Homan has been dubbed DHS’s next “border czar.”
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The department Noem is anticipated to lead, pending U.S. Senate confirmation, was created under President George W. Bush in 2003 and will be responsible for carrying out a key Trump policy—securing the U.S.-Mexico border and overseeing promised deportations of immigrants who entered the country illegally. DHS’s scope also includes the Secret Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Coast Guard, among others. An estimated 260,000 people work for the department.
Noem, who hadn’t made any public statements since news of the pending nomination surfaced, also broke her silence Tuesday, accepting the offer and thanking Trump for the selection.
“I am honored and humbled that President Donald J. Trump has selected me to be the Secretary of Homeland Security,” Noem said in a statement disseminated by the Trump campaign. “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 that families will again have the opportunity to pursue the American dream.”
It’s unclear when Noem would assume her new role. The Senate cannot officially consider the Castlewood native’s nomination until after Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the U.S. on Jan. 20.
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Good luck and I won’t miss u
We should hold government leaders—and their political entourages—to a high standard of integrity due to their representative responsibility to the public. Unfortunately, we seem to accept as a given that politicians can set their honesty bar on the ground. Noem's claims, for instance, that she has never wavered in her loyalty to Trump is a lie. An article in NYTimes, November 16, 2022—right after Trump declared his 2024 candidacy—included these passages, none of which have been refuted or denied by Noem or Lewandowski:
"At an annual gathering of Republican governors in Orlando, donors and lobbyists mingled with governors past, present and future while weighing ways to wrest Mr. Trump from the party’s base. Their main complaint was not over policy or even style, but losses the party has taken since Mr. Trump won the White House in 2016. Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, a Republican often mentioned as a potential 2024 candidate, said she did not believe Mr. Trump offered “the best chance” for the party in 2024. 'If we narrow our focus there, then we’re not talking to every single American,” Ms. Noem said in an interview as she sat across a mahogany table from her political adviser, Corey Lewandowski, who served as campaign manager for an early portion of Mr. Trump’s 2016 bid. “Our job is not just to talk to people who love Trump or hate Trump. Our job is to talk to every single American.'"
This is but one example of duplicity, but the takeaway is that if you're ambitious enough, you should not let stupid things like truth and honor stand in your way. Do and say whatever is necessary.
That being said, what Trump may have intended as a reward for a faithful disciple, the Homeland Security position, is quite likely going to turn into a nightmarish experience for Noem. She should have been careful what she wished for.