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Kristi Noem will become Trump’s secretary of homeland security
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Kristi Noem will become Trump’s secretary of homeland security

Key speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference

Photo: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem — who you may remember as the politician who wrote about killing her dog and then backed down after facing criticism — is Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security to lead, CNN reported on Tuesday. Noem was previously on Trump’s shortlist for vice president, but was ultimately defeated by JD Vance.

The Secretary of Homeland Security is broadly responsible for implementing U.S. immigration policy, and Noem has taken tough immigration positions in the past, including being a staunch supporter of Trump’s Muslim ban in 2017. In addition to overseeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), DHS, also heads the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, whose Tribal Government Affairs team handles relations with tribal governments. That could get tricky for Noem, who once made such offensive comments about tribal reservations during a speech at the state capitol that all nine federally recognized tribes of South Dakota banned her from their reservations, according to The Guardian.

The person in charge of DHS also oversees the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Coast Guard, and several other offices related to security and cybersecurity. As such, Noem will also be charged with managing the federal response to major crises. Given that she has made a name for herself as one of the few state governors who refused to implement protective measures against COVID-19, it is unclear what response, if any, we can expect from her in a future public health emergency or natural disaster.

Between Noem controlling the country’s borders and RFK Jr. who may manage public health, the country’s human population would still be in for a rough four years; Hopefully their new job will keep them busy enough to at least leave the dogs, bears and whales alone.