Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Kristi Noem

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Kristi Noem.

Kristi Noem is an American politician who has served as the 8th United States Secretary of Homeland Security since 2025. A Republican, she was the 33rd governor of South Dakota from 2019 to 2025. Prior to her governorship, Noem represented South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. Her career reflects a progression through different levels of government service.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

August 2010: Opposed Embryonic Stem-Cell Research

In August 2010, while running for Congress, Kristi Noem indicated she would vote to ban embryonic stem-cell research.

2015: Co-sponsored bill to amend the 14th Amendment

In 2015, Kristi Noem co-sponsored a bill to amend the 14th Amendment to define human life and personhood as beginning at fertilization, effectively banning abortion from that moment.

2015: Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage

In 2015, Noem expressed her opposition to same-sex marriage and disagreed with the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which declared same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.

2017: Supported Trump's Executive Order 13769

In 2017, Kristi Noem supported President Donald Trump's 2017 Executive Order 13769, which temporarily suspended the U.S. refugee program and banned travel from several Muslim-majority countries.

November 18, 2019: "Meth. We're on It" Awareness Campaign

On November 18, 2019, Noem launched the "Meth. We're on It" meth awareness campaign, which faced widespread mockery and criticism for its high cost ($449,000 of public funds) and use of an out-of-state advertising agency. Noem defended the campaign's success in raising awareness.

2019: Signed Bills Restricting Abortion

In 2019, Kristi Noem signed bills restricting abortion, stating they would "crack down on abortion providers in South Dakota".

2019: Signed Anti-Protest Legislation

In 2019, Kristi Noem signed into law anti-protest legislation developed in collaboration with TransCanada Corporation in response to protests against the Keystone Pipeline.

April 2020: Peters Receives Agreed Disposition

Around March/April 2020, Kassidy Peters received an Agreed Disposition regarding her real estate appraisal license.

July 3, 2020: No Social Distancing or Masks at Mount Rushmore Event

On July 3, 2020, Kristi Noem did not mandate social distancing or the wearing of face masks at an event at Mount Rushmore with Donald Trump present, despite health experts' warnings.

July 20, 2020: Kassidy Peters Receives Letter

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.

November 2020: Promotion of Tourism During COVID-19 Surge

In November 2020, Kristi Noem used pandemic relief funds to promote tourism during a surge in COVID-19 cases in South Dakota.

December 8, 2020: Tacit Acknowledgment of Biden Administration

On December 8, 2020, Noem tacitly acknowledged the outcome of the 2020 presidential 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".

December 2020: No Statewide Mandates

As of December 2020, Kristi Noem was one of few governors who had not maintained statewide stay-at-home orders or face-mask mandates.

2020: Opposition to Cannabis Legalization Measures

In 2020, Noem opposed two ballot measures to legalize cannabis for medical and recreational use in South Dakota. After both measures passed, she and two police officers filed a lawsuit challenging the recreational use measure, Amendment A.

2020: Summoning of Sherry Bren

In 2020, after Kristi Noem's daughter was denied a real estate appraisal license, Noem summoned Sherry Bren to her office, along with other staff members.

2020: Repealed and Clarified Anti-Riot Legislation

In 2020, after a federal court struck down sections of the legislation as unconstitutional, Noem brought legislation to repeal sections of the previous bill and clarify the definition of "incitement to riot".

January 6, 2021: Condemnation of Capitol Violence and Criticism of Democratic Senators

After the U.S. Capitol was attacked by a pro-Trump mob on January 6, 2021, Noem spoke out against the violence. However, one day later, she referred to the newly elected Democratic senators from Georgia as "communists," drawing criticism.

February 8, 2021: Amendment Struck Down as Unconstitutional

On February 8, 2021, circuit court judge Christina Klinger struck down the amendment legalizing recreational marijuana as unconstitutional.

March 8, 2021: Announcement of Women's Fairness in Sports Bill

On March 8, 2021, 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 participating in women's school and college sports teams. The bill faced criticism due to potential economic repercussions.

July 2021: Changes in Department of Corrections Leadership and Mask Mandate

In July 2021, Kristi Noem placed Secretary of the Department of Corrections Mike Liedholt on administrative leave, fired South Dakota State Penitentiary Warden Darin Young and Deputy Warden Jennifer Dreiske, and ended the prison's mask mandate despite lingering COVID-19 cases.

August 2021: Hiring of CGL Group and DOC Employee Firings

In August 2021, Kristi Noem announced that the CGL Group was hired to review the Department of Corrections operations, and the director of the prison work program was fired along with two other DOC employees.

September 2021: Extramarital Affair Allegations

In September 2021, American Greatness reported that Kristi Noem was having an extramarital affair with Corey Lewandowski. Noem denied the report, calling it a "disgusting lie".

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 to obtain documents about the deployment to Texas's border with Mexico and the donation from Willis Johnson.

October 2021: Committee Invites Hultman and Bren

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.

November 1, 2021: Government Accountability Board Agenda

On November 1, 2021, the Government Accountability Board set an agenda to discuss issues based on complaints brought by Ravnsborg.

November 2021: Taxpayer dollars spent on mansion upgrades

In late November 2021, it was reported that 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's Testimony Before Government Operations and Audit Committee

On December 14, 2021, Sherry Bren testified before the Government Operations and Audit Committee, stating that Kassidy Peters received an Agreed Disposition around March/April 2020 and later a letter and/or Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law around July 20, 2020, after failing to meet the requirements of the Agreed Disposition.

December 15, 2021: Government Accountability Board Refers Complaints

On December 15, 2021, the Government Accountability Board referred one complaint to Noem for a response and sent the other back to the complainant for further information.

December 2021: Support for Bill to Protect Fairness in Women's Sports

In December 2021, Noem and her office indicated their support for a bill called "An Act to Protect Fairness in women's sports," which would require young athletes to join teams aligned with their sex assigned at birth.

2021: Lawsuit over Mount Rushmore fireworks

In 2021, Kristi Noem sued U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to reinstate fireworks at Mount Rushmore for Independence Day, a practice halted in 2009 due to fire risks. Noem hired a private law firm using South Dakota taxpayer funds, but the U.S. District Court dismissed the suit. An appeal was later filed on July 13.

2021: Signing of Religious Refusal Bill

In 2021, Noem signed a religious refusal bill into law, amending the state RFRA to allow business owners to deny products or services based on religious beliefs related to sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation, S.B. 124, was criticized by civil rights groups for potentially enabling discrimination.

January 21, 2022: "Prayer bill" Defeated in Committee

On January 21, 2022, the "prayer bill", HB 1015, which sought to have prayer put back in school, was defeated in the House Education Committee by a vote of 9–6. An aide to Noem admitted that no schools were consulted about the proposal.

February 3, 2022: Government Accountability Board Refers Second Complaint

On February 3, 2022, the Government Accountability Board referred the second complaint to Kristi Noem for a response, giving her until April 15, 2022, to answer both pending complaints.

February 24, 2022: Introduction of House Resolution 7004

On February 24, 2022, Republican State Representative John Mills introduced House Resolution 7004 against Kristi Noem, addressing her "unacceptable actions in matters related to the appraiser certification program".

March 14, 2022: Bawek Files Lawsuit

On March 14, 2022, Stephany Bawek 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 to Answer Pending Complaints

Kristi Noem had until April 15, 2022, to answer both pending complaints referred to her by the Government Accountability Board.

2022: Banning TikTok from state-owned devices

In 2022, Kristi Noem issued an order to ban TikTok from state-owned devices due to concerns about the Chinese Communist Party using gathered information to manipulate Americans.

2022: Denies Scientific Consensus on Climate Change

In 2022, Kristi Noem stated she doesn't believe the science has proven humans are affecting the climate.

2022: RV Park Proposal in Custer State Park

In 2022, Noem proposed locating a government-paid RV park in Custer State Park, which faced opposition due to concerns about competing with private businesses and disturbing the park's natural environment. The bill was effectively killed after being deferred by the House Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee.

2022: National Defense Authorization Act Ban

In 2022, the National Defense Authorization Act banned National Guard members from crossing state borders to perform duties paid for by private donors.

2022: Revocation of Legal Protections for Immigrants

In March of 2022, Noem revoked legal protections for 532,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who had settled in the U.S. since 2022.

September 2023: Further Reports of Affair

In September 2023, the New York Post and the Daily Mail published similar reports about Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski. Noem's spokesman denied these reports.

2023: Opposed Subsidized Child Care

In 2023, Kristi Noem opposed subsidized child care, stating, "I just don't think it's the government's job to pay or to raise people's children for them".

2023: Prohibiting Tencent Applications

In 2023, Kristi Noem signed an order prohibiting the downloading or use of any application or visiting of any site owned by the Chinese company Tencent, including WeChat, on state-owned devices.

2023: Funneling Fees into Personal Company

In 2023, while governor, Noem funneled $80,000 in fees from a nonprofit into her personal company and failed to disclose it in her federal ethics filings upon joining DHS, violating disclosure rules.

January 2024: Noem's Comments on Southern Border and Drug Cartels

In January 2024, Kristi Noem stated that an "invasion is coming over the southern border" of the United States and that "the enemy is the Mexican drug cartels", which are "perpetrating violence in each of our states, even here in South Dakota".

March 2024: Promotion of Smile Texas

In March 2024, Kristi Noem shared a video promoting a cosmetic dentist business, Smile Texas, claiming it helped her after losing her front teeth in a biking accident. This led to her being associated with cosmetic surgery trends.

March 2024: Noem's Comments on Tribal Leaders and Reservations

In March 2024, Kristi Noem stated that there were "some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being there" and that people "who actually live in those situations, who call me and text me every day and say, 'Please, dear governor, please come help us in Pine Ridge. We are scared.'" She also spoke about unemployment and lack of hope among children on reservations.

April 2024: Reversed Support for Federal Abortion Ban

In April 2024, Kristi Noem announced that she had reversed her support for a federal ban on abortion, stating her belief that abortion law should be determined at the state level.

April 2024: Controversy over "No Going Back" Excerpts

In April 2024, pre-release excerpts of Kristi Noem's second autobiography, "No Going Back", received broad criticism. The excerpt describes Noem shooting and killing her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer, Cricket, and her family's goat.

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2024: Prohibiting governments from buying agricultural land

In 2024, Kristi Noem signed a bill prohibiting the governments of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela from buying agricultural land in South Dakota.

2024: Tribes Ban Noem from Tribal Lands

In 2024, all nine tribes of South Dakota banned Kristi Noem from entering any tribal lands after demanding an apology for her comments about them.

June 2025: Reported Failure 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, a violation of disclosure rules according to ethics experts.

September 2025: Report on Corey Lewandowski's Role in DHS

In September 2025, New York Magazine reported that Corey Lewandowski held a significant but unpublicized role in the Department of Homeland Security, acting as Noem's "de facto chief of staff" and engaging in an extramarital affair with her.

September 2025: Ongoing Relationship Reported

In September 2025, New York Magazine 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.

2025: Presidential Aspirations and Biden's Dog

In 2025, Kristi Noem wrote in her memoir of imagining herself becoming president and suggesting Joe Biden's dog, Commander, should be killed, referencing her own dog Cricket.

2026: Incorrect Definition of Habeas Corpus

During a May 2026 Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, Noem incorrectly defined habeas corpus as a presidential right to remove people from the country, which is actually a constitutional right for detainees to have a court review the legality of their detention.