Kristi Noem

Kristi Noem: Controversies and Biography (2025 Update)

South Dakota’s former Governor Kristi Noem, now U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, has faced several controversies that have shaped her political career. Below are the most notable issues that have impacted her trajectory:

  • Memoir Revelations and Animal Killings – In her 2024 memoir, No Going Back, Noem detailed killing her 14-month-old dog, Cricket, after it attacked chickens and failed as a hunting dog, and a goat for chasing her kids and smelling bad. The revelations sparked widespread backlash, mocked on SNL, and sank her chances as Trump’s 2024 VP pick. She defended the acts as tough farm decisions, citing South Dakota law allowing euthanasia of livestock-threatening dogs.
  • Conflicts with Native American Tribes – By mid-2024, all nine South Dakota tribes banned Noem from their lands after she claimed Mexican drug cartels operated on reservations and suggested tribal leaders profited from them. The Oglala Sioux and others called it political exploitation. In January 2025, Noem apologized, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux lifted their ban, supporting her DHS role, though eight tribes maintain their prohibitions as of March 2025.
  • Allegations of an Extramarital Affair – Reports in 2021 and 2024 alleged a years-long affair with Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s ex-adviser, with public incidents at political events and Mar-a-Lago. Both deny it, but X posts in February 2025 revived speculation after Noem’s DHS appointment, citing their past proximity.
  • Stance on Climate Change – Noem has dismissed human-driven climate change, rejecting federal climate grants as governor and opposing Biden’s carbon cost policies. Critics slammed her inaction during South Dakota’s 2023 floods, though she secured FEMA aid. As DHS Secretary, overseeing FEMA, her skepticism persists, with no climate-focused actions reported by March 2025.

Kristi Noem – Biography

Basic Information

Full Name: Kristi Lynn Noem (née Arnold)
Born: November 30, 1971 (age 53) in Watertown, South Dakota
Political Party: Republican
Current Position: 8th U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (since January 25, 2025)
Past Roles: Governor of South Dakota (2019–2025), U.S. Representative (2011–2019), South Dakota State Representative (2007–2011)
Education: South Dakota State University (B.A., Political Science, 2012)
Spouse: Bryon Noem (married 1992)
Children: 3

Early Life and Education

Raised on her family’s ranch in Hamlin County, South Dakota, Noem’s life shifted when her father died in a 1994 farm accident. She left Northern State University to run the farm, later taking classes at Mount Marty College, South Dakota State University, and online through the University of South Dakota, earning her B.A. in Political Science from SDSU in 2012.

Political Career

Noem began in the South Dakota House of Representatives (2007–2011), then served as U.S. Representative for South Dakota’s at-large district (2011–2019). Elected South Dakota’s first female governor in 2018, she won re-election in 2022. Her COVID-19 response—no mask mandates, businesses open—drew national notice. In November 2024, Trump nominated her as DHS Secretary; she resigned as governor January 25, 2025, after Senate confirmation (59-34).

Secretary of Homeland Security

Sworn in on January 25, 2025, by Justice Clarence Thomas (after missing her initial ceremony), Noem leads DHS under Trump, focusing on border security. By March 2025, she’s joined ICE raids in New York (January 28), ended Venezuelan deportation protections, and frozen NGO migrant grants, aligning with Trump’s hardline immigration stance.

Personal Life

Married to Bryon Noem since 1992, she has three children: Kassidy, Kennedy, and Booker. A farmer and rancher, Noem authored Not My First Rodeo (2022) and No Going Back (2024), the latter igniting controversy over her animal killings.

Additional Controversies

Beyond the above, Noem faced scrutiny for allegedly pressuring a state agency to approve her daughter Kassidy’s real estate appraiser license in 2020, leading to a $200,000 settlement with the fired director. In March 2025, The Dakota Scout reported she used a state credit card, racking up hundreds of thousands in expenses as governor, prompting legal threats from her team.

Recent Developments (2025)

As DHS Secretary, Noem has vowed to “hunt down” illegal immigrants, speaking at CPAC on February 21, 2025. Her January 28 NYC raid arrested “criminal aliens,” touted on X by DHS. Critics on X question her competence, citing a February Colorado ICE operation yielding one arrest, while supporters hail her border focus. Her tribal apology and credit card flap continue to stir debate.