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, she represented South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. Noem's political career began in the South Dakota House of Representatives, where she served from 2007 to 2011, establishing her foundation in state-level politics before ascending to national prominence.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

August 2010: Stem-cell Research

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

2015: Co-sponsored anti-abortion bill

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

2015: Opposed Same-Sex Marriage

In 2015, Kristi Noem stated her disagreement with Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court's ruling that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional.

2017: Support for Trump's Executive Order 13769

In 2017, Kristi Noem supported President Donald Trump's 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 Release

On November 18, 2019, Kristi Noem released a meth awareness campaign named "Meth. We're on It". The campaign faced widespread mockery and criticism due to the expenditure of $449,000 of public funds and the hiring of an out-of-state advertising agency.

2019: Signed Anti-Protest Legislation

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

2019: Signed Abortion Restriction Bills

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

April 9, 2020: Inspectors Allowed to Wear Masks with Permission

On April 9, 2020, the Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that its inspectors would be allowed to wear masks at meatpacking plants if the owners granted them permission. Inspectors were initially expected to provide their own masks.

April 13, 2020: Noem's Statement on Smithfield Outbreak

On April 13, 2020, Noem stated on Fox News regarding the COVID-19 outbreak at the Smithfield pork plant that "We believe that 99 percent of what's going on today wasn't happening inside the facility".

Loading Video...

April 2020: Peters Receives Agreed Disposition

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

July 3, 2020: Mount Rushmore Event with Trump

On July 3, 2020, Noem did not mandate social distancing or the wearing of face masks at an event held at Mount Rushmore, which was attended by President Trump. She publicly doubted scientific recommendations on mask usage and cited analysis from the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons to defend her views.

July 20, 2020: Peters Receives Letter Regarding Appraisal Requirements

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.

October 22, 2020: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Reach Record High

On October 22, 2020, COVID-19 hospitalizations in South Dakota reached a record high of 355, including 75 in Intensive Care Units, following the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Hospital systems rescheduled elective procedures, and Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken urged people to "Wear a dang mask".

November 2020: Promotion of Tourism During Pandemic Surge

In November 2020, during a surge of COVID-19 cases, Noem utilized pandemic relief funds to promote tourism in South Dakota, while also declining to implement face mask mandates and questioning the efficacy of mask-wearing.

December 8, 2020: Tacit Acknowledgment of Biden Administration

On December 8, 2020, Kristi Noem tacitly acknowledged the outcome of the 2020 presidential election by referring to a "Biden administration" during her annual state budget address.

December 2020: No Statewide Mandates

As of December 2020, Noem was one of the few governors who had not maintained statewide stay-at-home orders or face-mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Legislation to Repeal Sections of Anti-Riot Bill

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

2020: Opposed Cannabis Legalization Measures

In 2020, Kristi Noem opposed two ballot measures aiming to legalize cannabis for medical and recreational use in South Dakota. Following the passage of both measures, she and two police officers initiated a lawsuit to challenge the recreational use measure, Amendment A.

2020: Daughter's Real Estate Appraisal License Denial

In 2020, Kristi Noem's daughter, Kassidy Peters, was denied a real estate appraisal license, which prompted Noem to summon Sherry Bren, the director of South Dakota's Appraiser Certification Program, to her office, along with Peters, Noem's Chief of Staff Tony Venhuizen, Department of Labor Attorney Amber Mulder, and Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman.

2020: Noem Opts Out of Enhanced Unemployment Benefits

In 2020, sixteen weeks after Trump's executive order for enhanced unemployment benefits, Noem opted out of the program, making South Dakota the only state to refuse the assistance despite a jobless rate of 7.2% in June.

2020: COVID-19 Outbreak at Smithfield Foods

In early 2020, South Dakota experienced one of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S., impacting the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, with four deaths and nearly 1,300 workers and their families testing positive.

January 6, 2021: Condemned Violence at U.S. Capitol

After the U.S. Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, Kristi Noem spoke out against the violence, stating that violence is not part of peaceful protest.

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

On March 8, 2021, Kristi Noem announced on Twitter that she would sign H.B. 1217, the Women's Fairness in Sports Bill, into law, which bans transgender athletes from women's sports teams. This announcement generated concerns about potential economic repercussions for the state.

June 2021: South Dakota National Guard Deployed to Texas Border

In June 2021, Noem announced that she was sending members of the South Dakota National Guard to Texas's border with Mexico, with funding donated by Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson and his wife Reba.

July 2021: Corrections Department Shakeup and Mask Mandate Ended

In July 2021, 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 after meeting with prison employees.

August 2021: Review of Department of Corrections Operations

In August 2021, Noem announced the hiring of the CGL Group for $166,410 to review the Department of Corrections operations. Additionally, the director of the prison work program was fired, and two other DOC employees were relieved of their duties.

September 2021: Affair Allegations

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

September 22, 2021: Center for Public Integrity Sues Over National Guard Deployment

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 related donation by Willis and Reba Johnson.

October 2021: Government Operations and Audit Committee Investigation

In October 2021, following the publication of an Associated Press story, the State Senate's Government Operations and Audit Committee investigated the appraisal program. The Committee invited Marcia Hultman and Sherry Bren to discuss the program, leading to Bren's testimony later that year.

November 1, 2021: Government Accountability Board Agenda Set

On November 1, 2021, the Government Accountability Board created an agenda to discuss the issues surrounding Noem related to complaints brought by Ravnsborg.

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 regarding Kassidy Peters' appraisal program situation. She stated that Peters received an Agreed Disposition around March/April 2020 and a letter and/or Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law around July 20, 2020, for 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 of two complaints to Noem for a response while sending the other back to the complainant for further information.

December 2021: Signaled Support for Women's Sports Bill

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

2021: Signed Religious Refusal Bill

In 2021, Kristi 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. This legislation, S.B. 124, faced criticism for potentially enabling discrimination.

2021: Lawsuit Seeking Fireworks at Mount Rushmore

In 2021, Noem sued U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to reinstate fireworks at Mount Rushmore for Independence Day. She hired a private Washington D.C. law firm, Consovoy McCarthy, with South Dakota state taxpayer money for the suit.

February 3, 2022: Second Complaint Referred to Noem

On February 3, 2022, the Government Accountability Board referred the second complaint to Noem 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 Noem, addressing her "unacceptable actions in matters related to the appraiser certification program".

March 14, 2022: Lawsuit Filed Alleging Retaliation for Reporting Sexual Harassment

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 Answer Complaints

April 15, 2022, marked the deadline for Noem to respond to two pending complaints referred to her by the Government Accountability Board.

2022: Climate Change Denial

In 2022, Kristi Noem expressed her denial of the scientific consensus on climate change, stating that the science on the matter is varied and unproven to her.

2022: National Defense Authorization Act

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

September 2023: 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.

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

In January 2024, Noem stated that an "invasion is coming over the southern border" of the United States, and that the "enemy is the Mexican drug cartels", who are "perpetrating violence in each of our states, even here in South Dakota" and "using our reservations to facilitate the spread of drugs throughout the Midwest."

March 2024: Noem's Allegations of Tribal Leader Involvement with Cartels

In March 2024, Noem claimed that "some tribal leaders" were "personally benefiting from the cartels being there" without providing evidence, adding that people "who actually live in those situations" had contacted her expressing fear and requesting help in Pine Ridge, citing high unemployment and a lack of parental support.

April 2024: Reversed Support for Federal Abortion Ban

In April 2024, Kristi Noem announced she had reversed her support for a federal ban on abortion.

April 2024: Controversy over Noem's autobiography excerpt

In April 2024, pre-release excerpts from Kristi Noem's second autobiography, "No Going Back", sparked widespread criticism. The excerpt recounted an incident where Noem shot her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer, Cricket, and her family's male goat, because of Cricket's poor hunting performance and the goat's unpleasant nature. This led to accusations of animal cruelty and questions about her judgment. There were questions raised about whether this violated South Dakota law.

No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward

Check it on Amazon

2024: Tribal Lands Ban

In 2024, nine tribes of South Dakota banned Noem from entering their tribal lands, which constitute almost 20% of the state. However, reports indicated that one tribe, the Yankton Sioux, did not officially impose the ban.

2025: Imagining Presidency and Biden's Dog

In 2025, in her memoir, Noem wrote about envisioning herself succeeding Joe Biden as president. She mentioned that her first action would be to remove Joe Biden's dog, Commander, from the White House grounds, implying a similar fate to her own dog, Cricket. This statement followed Commander's removal from the White House due to multiple biting incidents.