Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Kristi Noem
A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Kristi Noem.
Kristi Lynn Arnold Noem is an American politician. She was the 33rd governor of South Dakota, serving from 2019 to 2025. Prior to her governorship, she represented South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. She is currently the 8th United States secretary of homeland security.
5 hours ago : Kristi Noem embroiled in controversy: Lewandowski fired amidst affair and junket allegations.
Kristi Noem faces scrutiny as Corey Lewandowski is ousted following taxpayer-funded trips and alleged affair. Controversy arises from photos and accusations of improper conduct during an exotic getaway.
August 2010: Voted to ban embryonic stem-cell research
In August 2010, while running for Congress, Kristi Noem responded to a questionnaire from the Christian Coalition voter guide indicating that she would vote to ban embryonic stem-cell research.
March 2011: Critical of Obama's Approach to Libyan Intervention
In March 2011, Kristi Noem was critical of President Barack Obama's approach to the NATO-led military intervention in the 2011 Libyan civil war, calling on him to provide more information about the U.S.'s role in the conflict.
2011: Sponsored measure to block EPA funding
In 2011, Kristi Noem sponsored a measure to block Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding for tighter air pollution standards for coarse particulates.
2015: Co-sponsored bill to amend 14th Amendment on abortion
In 2015, Kristi Noem co-sponsored a bill to amend the 14th Amendment, defining human life and personhood as beginning at fertilization and banning abortion from that moment, and also voted for a bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
2015: Co-sponsored legislation on human life definition
In 2015, Kristi Noem co-sponsored legislation to amend the 14th Amendment to define human life and personhood as beginning at the moment of fertilization, without exceptions for in-vitro fertilization or embryonic stem-cell research.
2015: Opposition to same-sex marriage
In 2015, Kristi Noem stated that she disagreed with Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court's ruling that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional.
2015: Resemblance to Indiana bill signed by Mike Pence
In 2021, Noem signed a religious refusal bill into law. This bill resembles the 2015 bill signed into law by Indiana Governor Mike Pence.
2017: Supported Trump's Executive Order 13769
In 2017, Kristi Noem supported President Donald Trump's 2017 Executive Order 13769, which suspended the U.S. refugee program for 120 days and banned travel to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days.
May 2019: Proposed fence around governor's mansion
In May 2019, Kristi Noem proposed building a fence around the governor's mansion at an estimated cost of $400,000, but later retracted the proposal.
November 18, 2019: "Meth. We're on It" awareness campaign
On November 18, 2019, Noem released a meth awareness campaign named "Meth. We're on It". The campaign was widely mocked and Noem was criticized for spending $449,000 of public funds while hiring an out-of-state advertising agency from Minnesota to lead the project. She defended the campaign as successful in raising awareness.
2019: Signed Bills Restricting Abortion
In 2019, Kristi Noem signed bills restricting abortion in South Dakota, claiming to "crack down on abortion providers" and asserting that unborn babies can feel, think, and recognize sounds in the womb.
2019: Anti-protest legislation signed into law
In 2019, Kristi Noem's office collaborated with TransCanada Corporation to develop anti-protest legislation, which she then signed into law. This law established a fund to cover policing costs for pipeline protests and imposed civil penalties for encouraging participation in rioting. As a result, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation banned Noem from their grounds.
2019: Opposition to industrial hemp cultivation
In 2019, Noem opposed the cultivation of industrial hemp, vetoing a bill that passed the South Dakota House and Senate to legalize hemp cultivation. She said, "There is no question in my mind that normalizing hemp, like legalizing medical marijuana, is part of a larger strategy to undermine enforcement of the drug laws and make legalized marijuana inevitable."
April 2020: Peters receives Agreed Disposition
Around April 2020, Kassidy Peters received an Agreed Disposition related to her real estate appraisal license application.
July 3, 2020: Mount Rushmore event with Trump amid COVID concerns
On July 3, 2020, Kristi Noem did not mandate social distancing or mask-wearing at the Mount Rushmore event with Donald Trump present, despite warnings from health experts about the risks of large, unmasked gatherings.
July 20, 2020: Peters receives letter for failing to meet Agreed Disposition
Around July 20, 2020, Kassidy Peters received a letter and/or Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law after she failed to meet the requirements of the Agreed Disposition related to her real estate appraisal license.
November 2020: Tourism promotion during COVID-19 surge
In November 2020, Kristi Noem used pandemic relief funds to promote tourism in South Dakota during a surge in COVID-19 cases.
December 8, 2020: Tacit acknowledgement of Biden administration
On December 8, 2020, Noem tacitly acknowledged the outcome of the election when she referred to a "Biden administration" during her annual state budget address, but even after Biden was inaugurated in January, she still refused to accept that the election was "free and fair".
2020: Opposition to cannabis legalization
In 2020, Noem opposed two ballot measures to legalize cannabis for medical use and recreational use in South Dakota, saying, "The fact is, I've never met someone who got smarter from smoking pot. It's not good for our kids. And it's not going to improve our communities." After both measures passed, she and two police officers filed a lawsuit seeking a court decision against the measure legalizing recreational use, Amendment A.
2020: Meeting regarding daughter's real estate appraisal license denial
In 2020, after Kristi Noem's daughter, Kassidy Peters, was denied a real estate appraisal license, Noem summoned Sherry Bren, who directed South Dakota's Appraiser Certification Program, to a meeting in her office along with other officials.
2020: Fence project revived
In 2020, the 2019 proposal to build a fence around the governor's mansion was revived based on the recommendations of Kristi Noem's security team.
January 6, 2021: Response to U.S. Capitol attack
After the U.S. Capitol was attacked by a pro-Trump mob on January 6, 2021, disrupting the counting of the electoral votes formalizing Biden's victory, Noem spoke out against the violence, saying: "We are all entitled to peacefully protest. Violence is not a part of that." One day after calling for peace and reconciliation in the aftermath of the assault on the Capitol, Noem called the two newly elected Democratic senators from Georgia, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, "communists" in an op-ed for The Federalist, prompting criticism from South Dakota Democrats.
February 8, 2021: Amendment struck down as unconstitutional
On February 8, 2021, circuit court judge Christina Klinger struck down the amendment as unconstitutional.
March 8, 2021: Noem to sign Women's Fairness in Sports Bill
On March 8, 2021, Kristi Noem announced on Twitter that she would sign into law H.B. 1217, the Women's Fairness in Sports Bill, which bans transgender athletes from playing on or against women's school and college sports teams. Some critics of the bill said they were worried it might turn away business and cost the state money.
July 2021: Corrections officials placed on leave/fired and mask mandate ended
In July 2021, Kristi Noem placed Secretary of the Department of Corrections Mike Liedholt on administrative leave and fired South Dakota State Penitentiary Warden Darin Young and Deputy Warden Jennifer Dreiske. Later that month, she ended the prison's mask mandate.
August 2021: CGL Group hired to review corrections operations
In August 2021, Kristi Noem announced that the CGL Group was hired for $166,410 to comprehensively review the Department of Corrections operations. At the same time, the director of the prison work program was fired, and two other DOC employees relieved of their duties.
September 2021: Affair Allegations
In September 2021, American Greatness reported that Kristi Noem was having an extramarital affair with Corey Lewandowski, which Noem denied.
September 22, 2021: Center for Public Integrity sues South Dakota National Guard
On September 22, 2021, the Center for Public Integrity sued the South Dakota National Guard and the U.S. Department of Defense in federal district court to obtain documents about the deployment to Texas and the donation from Willis Johnson.
October 2021: Hultman and Bren invited to discuss the appraisal program
In October 2021, the State Senate's Government Operations and Audit Committee invited Marcia Hultman and Sherry Bren to discuss the appraisal program in light of the controversy surrounding Kassidy Peters' license application.
November 1, 2021: Government Accountability Board sets agenda to discuss complaints
On November 1, 2021, the Government Accountability Board set an agenda to discuss an issue related to the appraiser certification program controversy and another issue based on complaints brought by Ravnsborg.
November 2021: Taxpayer dollars spent on mansion renovations
In late November 2021, it was reported that Kristi Noem spent $68,000 of taxpayer dollars on imported rugs from India, chandeliers, and a sauna for the governor's mansion.
December 14, 2021: Bren testifies before Government Operations and Audit Committee
On December 14, 2021, Sherry Bren testified before the Government Operations and Audit Committee regarding the appraisal program and the controversy surrounding Kassidy Peters' license application. Bren stated that Peters received an Agreed Disposition around March/April 2020 and later received a letter on July 20, 2020, for failing to meet the requirements.
December 15, 2021: Government Accountability Board refers complaints
On December 15, 2021, the Government Accountability Board referred one of two complaints related to Kristi Noem for a response and sent the other back to the complainant for further information.
December 2021: Support for "An Act to Protect Fairness in women's sports"
In December 2021, Noem and her office signaled their support for a bill called "An Act to Protect Fairness in women's sports." The bill would require young athletes to join teams that align with their sex assigned at birth.
2021: Lawsuit seeking Mount Rushmore fireworks
In 2021, Kristi Noem sued U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, seeking to have fireworks at Mount Rushmore for Independence Day, which had been halted since 2009 due to fire risks. The U.S. District Court dismissed the suit, and Noem filed an appeal on July 13 with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
2021: Noem signed a religious refusal bill into law
In 2021, Noem signed a religious refusal bill into law. The legislation amended the state RFRA to allow business owners to cite religious beliefs as a basis to deny products or services to people based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation, S.B. 124, was criticized by civil rights groups who said it would enable discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, women, and members of minority faiths.
January 21, 2022: "Prayer bill" defeated in House Education Committee
On January 21, 2022, the "prayer bill", HB 1015, which Noem sought to put back in school, was defeated in the House Education Committee by a vote of 9–6. An aide to Noem admitted to the committee that no schools were consulted about the proposal.
February 3, 2022: Government Accountability Board refers a second complaint to Noem
On February 3, 2022, the Government Accountability Board referred the second complaint regarding Kristi Noem to her for a response, giving her until April 15, 2022, to answer both pending complaints.
February 24, 2022: House Resolution introduced against Noem
On February 24, 2022, Republican State Representative John Mills introduced House Resolution 7004 against Kristi Noem, addressing "the Governor's unacceptable actions in matters related to the appraiser certification program".
March 14, 2022: Bawek files lawsuit alleging wrongful termination
On March 14, 2022, Stephany Bawek, the former prison work program director, filed a lawsuit in federal district court alleging that she was fired for reporting incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace.
April 15, 2022: Deadline for Noem to respond to Government Accountability Board complaints
April 15, 2022, marked the deadline for Kristi Noem to answer both pending complaints referred to her by the Government Accountability Board.
2022: Climate Change Views
In 2022 Kristi Noem stated her belief that "the science has been varied on it, and it hasn't been proven to me that what we're doing is affecting the climate."
2022: TikTok ban on state-owned devices
In 2022, Kristi Noem issued an order banning TikTok from state-owned devices, citing concerns that the Chinese Communist Party uses information gathered on TikTok to manipulate Americans.
2022: RV park proposal in Custer State Park
In 2022, Noem sought to locate a government-paid RV park in Custer State Park. The proposal was met with significant opposition. The House Agricultural and Natural Resources deferred the bill to the 41st day, effectively killing it, by a vote of 9–3.
2022: National Defense Authorization Act restricts private funding of National Guard
The 2022 National Defense Authorization Act banned National Guard members from crossing state borders to perform duties paid for by private donors, impacting future deployments similar to the South Dakota National Guard's deployment to Texas in 2021.
September 2023: Renewed Affair Allegations
In September 2023, the New York Post and the Daily Mail published similar reports about Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski, which Noem's spokesman denied.
2023: Remarks about granddaughter's firearms and pony
At a 2023 NRA forum in Indiana, Kristi Noem mentioned that her two-year-old granddaughter owned a shotgun, a rifle, and a "little pony named Sparkles".
2023: Opposition to Subsidized Child Care
In 2023, Kristi Noem voiced opposition to subsidized child care, rejecting federal funding for summer meal programs and stating it is not the government's job to raise children.
2023: Fees funneled into personal company
In 2023, while serving as South Dakota's governor, Noem funneled $80,000 in fees from a nonprofit, American Resolve Policy Fund, into her personal company. She failed to disclose this payment in her federal ethics filings upon joining DHS, which ethics experts say violates disclosure rules.
January 2024: Noem comments on southern border invasion and drug cartels
In January 2024, Kristi Noem stated that an "invasion is coming over the southern border" of the United States and identified the "enemy" as the Mexican drug cartels, alleging they are using reservations to spread drugs throughout the Midwest.
March 2024: Noem accuses tribal leaders of benefiting from cartels
In March 2024, Kristi Noem claimed that some tribal leaders are "personally benefiting from the cartels being there" and that residents of Pine Ridge are scared and live with high unemployment rates, but gave no evidence to support these claims.
April 2024: Anti-Abortion Stance Promotion
In 2024, Kristi Noem proclaimed the year as "Freedom for Life Year", promoting anti-abortion laws.
April 2024: Reversed support for a federal ban on abortion
In April 2024, Kristi Noem announced she had reversed her support for a federal ban on abortion, stating abortion law should be determined at the state level, while continuing to support South Dakota's ban with an exception only for saving the pregnant patient's life.
April 2024: Noem's VP odds diminish
In April 2024, insiders suggested that Kristi Noem's odds of being selected as Donald Trump's running mate had decreased due to her stance on abortion and the revelation in her book that she shot and killed her pet dog and a goat.
April 2024: Controversy over dog killing
In April 2024, pre-release excerpts of Kristi Noem's second autobiography, No Going Back, received broad criticism after she recounted shooting and killing her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer, Cricket, and her family's goat.
2024: South Dakota tribes ban Noem from tribal lands
In 2024, all nine tribes of South Dakota banned Kristi Noem from entering any tribal lands, prohibiting her from entering almost 20% of South Dakota.
February 2025: Divert USCG C-130 Hercules
This began in February 2025, when Noem told the National Command Center to divert a USCG C-130 Hercules from a search and rescue mission for a coast guardsman who had gone overboard. The USCG commander in San Diego sent two C-27 Spartans to Texas for the deportation mission and kept the C-130 on the search.
April 20, 2025: Purse stolen from D.C. burger restaurant
On the evening of April 20, 2025, Noem's purse was stolen from a D.C. burger restaurant. The purse contained important items, like her government access badge, apartment keys, $2,000–3,000 in cash, her passport, and blank checks. The incident raised various concerns, including about her Secret Service detail presence.
June 2025: Failed to disclose past income
In June 2025, ProPublica reported that Noem failed to disclose past income from a dark money group in her federal ethics filings upon joining DHS, which ethics experts say violates disclosure rules.
June 2025: Self-deport or be deported by DHS officials
Sae Joon Park, was told in June 2025 to self-deport or be deported by DHS officials.
September 2025: Ongoing Affair Allegations
In September 2025, New York reported that the romantic relationship between Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski is ongoing, and that Lewandowski plays a significant role in running the Department of Homeland Security, acting as Noem's "de facto chief of staff".
December 12, 2025: DHS deported a veteran
During a December 12, 2025, committee hearing, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner asked Noem how many U.S. veterans DHS had deported. She replied that they had not deported any. He then showed, via Zoom, Purple Heart recipient and green-card holder Sae Joon Park, who had been deported under her administration.
2025: Redirection of USCG flights
During Noem's tenure more than 886 USCG flights have been redirected to deportation missions transporting 9,805 migrants in fiscal year 2025. The Coast Guard has called the flights routine and a typical use of multi-mission aircraft.
January 14, 2026: Articles of impeachment introduced against Noem
On January 14, 2026, Representative Robin Kelly introduced three articles of impeachment against Noem. She alleged Noem had obstructed congressional oversight of ICE facilities; violated public trust regarding arrests and the use of force; and engaged in self-dealing by awarding the contract for a $200 million taxpayer-funded recruitment campaign to the husband of Tricia McLaughlin. As of the filing, 70 representatives had signaled their support for the proceedings.
2026: Incorrect definition of habeas corpus
During a May 2026 Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's budget for fiscal year 2026, Noem incorrectly defined habeas corpus as "a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country" in response to a question from Senator Maggie Hassan. In actuality, habeas corpus is the constitutional right for a detainee to request that a court review the lawfulness of their detention, which would require the government to justify the detention.
Mentioned in this timeline
TikTok also known as Douyin in China is a social...
Tencent is a Chinese multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in Shenzhen...
Barack Obama the th U S President - was the...
WeChat also known as Weixin in Chinese is a multipurpose...
Joe Biden is an American politician who served as the...
The White House located at Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington...
Trending
1 hour ago Fannie Mae to accept crypto-backed mortgages and Coinbase introduces token-backed down payments.
2 hours ago Used EV Prices Plunge as Off-Lease Electric Vehicles Flood the Market.
3 hours ago Judge blocks Pentagon order against AI firm Anthropic citing First Amendment retaliation.
3 hours ago AI Deep Learning System Achieves Near-Expert Accuracy in Reading Cardiac MRI Scans
2 hours ago Climate change fuels U.S. heat wave, breaking temperature records in the Southwest.
3 hours ago Iran war and surging gas prices boost electric vehicle sales and interest worldwide.
Popular
Sir David Attenborough is a highly influential British broadcaster biologist...
Kelsey Grammer is a celebrated American actor best known for...
Chuck Schumer is the senior U S Senator from New...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...
Cristiano Ronaldo known as CR is a Portuguese professional footballer...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...