Kristi Noem with Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen the governor of South Dakota Kristi Noem as his new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, according to two people familiar with the choice.
Noem’s appointment is a signal that Trump is determined to keep his immigration promises. In addition to Noem, top immigration hardliners Stephen Miller and Tom Homan will take senior roles, reflecting the administration’s focus on a strict approach. immigration policy. Trump’s choice ensures that a loyal supporter takes the lead DHSan agency central to his domestic agenda.
During the previous Trump administration, DHS faced significant turmoil, with five different leaders, only two of whom were confirmed by the Senate. As head of this massive department, Noem will manage a $60 billion budget and supervise hundreds of thousands of employees. DHS oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Secret Service.
Noem’s political journey is closely tied to Trump. She was previously a top candidate for his vice president, although her relationship with Trump cooled after the fallout from her book No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward. In it, Noem told a story about putting down her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer, Cricket, after the dog showed no hunting promise, leading to backlash. Noem described Cricket as “untrainable” and recalled that the experience was intended to illustrate her willingness to tackle difficult tasks.
While some criticized Noem’s story and made comparisons to past controversies involving politicians and pets, she defended her choice as an example of making “tough, necessary decisions.” The dog had caused several problems during hunting trips and even killed chickens. Noem’s story didn’t end there, as she also described putting down a family goat in a similarly direct manner, underscoring her commitment to acting decisively in challenging situations.
Following the book’s publication, reactions to Noem’s accounts of animal euthanasia have been mixed, with some detractors calling her “intentionally cruel.” Others in the hunting community expressed disgust at her actions, especially when it came to dealing with Cricket’s training and ultimate fate. However, Noem responded by saying, “Tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm,” mentioning that she recently had to euthanize three horses that had been with her family for more than 20 years.