Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump greets South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem after she introduced him at the Monument Leaders Rally hosted by the South Dakota Republican Party on Sept. 8, 2023, in Rapid City. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to run the federal Department of Homeland Security, according to reports from media outlets including CNN.
The news network cited “two people familiar with the situation” in its story early Tuesday morning. Noem’s office did not immediately respond to messages from South Dakota Searchlight.
Noem, 52, is serving her second four-year term as governor. Term limits prevent her from running again in 2026. She previously served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Noem has been closely associated with Trump since at least 2020, when she convinced the then-president to authorize and speak at a Mount Rushmore fireworks show during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also retracted a story in the book about meeting North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un after reports questioning whether the meeting had happened.
Those and other revelations from the book made Noem a figure of ridicule for weeks as she went on a book tour. National television anchors grilled her in interviews, late-night TV hosts mocked her, and she was the butt of jokes and memes on social media.
Yet, several months later, she delivered a televised speech at the Republican National Convention. As Trump continued his campaign, speculation grew that Noem could be considered for a job in his administration.
Jon Schaff, a professor of government at Northern State University in Aberdeen, in northeastern South Dakota, said Noem’s appointment would be the culmination of her yearslong devotion to Trump.
“Trump rewards loyalty, and Kristi Noem has been loyal,” Schaff said.
Trump rewards loyalty, and Kristi Noem has been loyal.
– Jon Schaff, professor of government, Northern State University
The president-elect’s choice of Noem for the Homeland Security post also signals Trump’s high level of trust in her.
“She’s been given a position that deals with a Trump administration priority– the border.” Schaff said. “This is a big, important task. It requires more than photo opportunities and media spots. It takes hard work.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s responsibilities include border and immigration enforcement, disaster response, antiterrorism and cybersecurity. Then-President George W. Bush created the department in 2002 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Noem has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s calls to strengthen security at the nation’s southern border. While serving as governor, she has ordered three National Guard deployments to support border security in Texas and has signed off on several other federally ordered border deployments. She’s also visited the southern border multiple times.
If Noem’s appointment is subjected to Senate confirmation hearings, she could face difficult questioning about the Kim Jong Un anecdote in her book and its retraction, Schaff said. Trump has called for the Senate to recess after he takes office early next year so he can make appointments without going through the confirmation process.
That will be among the first choices facing the next Senate majority leader, who is scheduled to be elected by Republican senators on Wednesday. South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune is among the candidates.
Noem’s appointment as secretary of Homeland Security would elevate Republican Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden to governor for the rest of her term. Meanwhile, a campaign would likely begin for the 2026 gubernatorial nomination, with Republicans including U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and state Attorney General Marty Jackley among those rumored to be potential candidates.
This story was originally produced by the South Dakota Searchlight which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.