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.
On November 30, 1971, Kristi Lynn Arnold Noem was born. She later became a prominent American politician.
In 1990, Kristi Noem graduated from Hamlin High School in Hayti, South Dakota, and she was also crowned South Dakota Snow Queen that year.
Kristi Noem attended Northern State University from 1990 to 1994, but did not graduate.
In 1992, Kristi Noem married Bryon Noem in Watertown, South Dakota.
In March 1994, Kristi Noem's father tragically died in a grain bin accident, prompting her to leave college early to take over the family farm.
On April 21, 1994, Kristi Noem's daughter, Kassidy, was born weeks after the death of her father.
In 2006, Kristi Noem was elected as a Republican to the South Dakota House of Representatives, representing the 6th district, earning 39% of the vote.
Kristi Noem began serving in the South Dakota House of Representatives in 2007.
In 2008, Kristi Noem was re-elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives with 41% of the vote.
In 2009, Kristi Noem served as vice chair of the Agriculture Land Assessment Advisory Task Force.
In 2009, the National Park Service halted fireworks displays at Mount Rushmore due to fire risks and other safety concerns.
In August 2010, while running for Congress, Kristi Noem indicated she would vote to ban embryonic stem-cell research.
In 2010, Kristi Noem ran for South Dakota's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and won the Republican primary.
In 2010, Kristi Noem supported the Keystone XL Pipeline.
In 2010, Kristi Noem's four-year term in the South Dakota House of Representatives concluded.
On March 8, 2011, Kristi Noem announced the formation of a leadership political action committee, KRISTI PAC.
In March 2011, Kristi Noem criticized President Barack Obama's approach to the NATO-led military intervention in the 2011 Libyan civil war, calling for more information about the U.S.'s role.
In March 2011, Kristi Noem was elected by the 2011 House Republican freshman class as liaison to the House Republican leadership, becoming the second woman member of the House GOP leadership.
In 2011, Kristi Noem indicated that she would vote to raise the federal debt ceiling if it was tied to budget reforms. She ultimately voted for S. 365, The Budget Control Act of 2011.
In 2011, Kristi Noem moved to Washington to take her congressional office, while her family continued to live on a ranch near Castlewood, South Dakota.
In 2011, Kristi Noem sponsored a measure to block Environmental Protection Agency funding for tighter air pollution standards for coarse particulates.
In March 2011, Representative Pete Sessions named Kristi Noem one of the 12 regional directors for the National Republican Congressional Committee for the 2012 election campaign.
From 2013 to 2015, Kristi Noem served on the House Armed Services Committee, working on the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.
From 2013 to 2015, Kristi Noem served on the House Armed Services Committee, where she worked on the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.
From 2013 to 2015, Kristi Noem served on the House Armed Services Committee, working on the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.
In 2015, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed a similar bill into law, resembling the religious refusal bill signed by Noem in 2021.
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.
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.
In November 2016, Kristi Noem announced her candidacy for governor of South Dakota in the 2018 election, choosing not to seek reelection to Congress.
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.
In 2017, Kristi Noem was on the conference committee that negotiated the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which she said would give the average South Dakota family a $1,200 tax cut.
As of 2018, Kristi Noem's family attended a Foursquare Church in Watertown, South Dakota.
In 2018, Kristi Noem pitched the idea to members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus to attach her online sales tax bill to the government funding package.
In 2018, Kristi Noem was elected as the first female governor of South Dakota.
While running for governor in 2018, Kristi Noem made government transparency part of her platform.
On January 5, 2019, Kristi Noem was sworn in as governor of South Dakota, becoming the first woman to hold that office in the state.
In February 2019, Noem stated that the Trump administration's trade wars with China and the European Union had negatively impacted South Dakota's economy, particularly the agricultural sector.
In May 2019, Noem proposed building a fence around the governor's mansion at an estimated cost of $400,000, but the proposal was later retracted.
On October 1, 2019, Josh Shields became chief of staff.
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.
In 2019, Kristi Noem consented to South Dakota's participation in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program after a Trump executive order that allowed state and local governments to opt out.
In 2019, Kristi Noem signed bills restricting abortion, stating they would "crack down on abortion providers in South Dakota".
In 2019, Kristi Noem signed into law anti-protest legislation developed in collaboration with TransCanada Corporation in response to protests against the Keystone Pipeline.
In 2019, Noem signed a bill into law abolishing South Dakota's permit requirement to carry a concealed handgun.
In 2019, Noem vetoed a bill that passed the South Dakota House and Senate to legalize hemp cultivation, citing concerns about undermining drug laws and making marijuana legalization inevitable.
Kristi Noem served in Congress until 2019, after being reelected three times.
On January 1, 2020, Josh Shields left position as chief of staff.
On March 2, 2020, Tony Venhuizen became Noem's chief of staff, succeeding Josh Shields.
On March 13, 2020, Kristi Noem ordered K-12 schools to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 6, 2020, Kristi Noem issued an executive order that said people "shall" follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; she also ordered everyone over age 65 in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties to stay home for three weeks.
On April 9, 2020, the agency said its inspectors would be allowed to wear masks if the meatpacking plants' owners gave the federal employees permission to do so. Inspectors were expected to supply their own masks.
Around March/April 2020, Kassidy Peters received an Agreed Disposition regarding her real estate appraisal license.
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.
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.
In August 2020, Kristi Noem was rewarded for her COVID-19 response with a speech at the Republican National Convention, which elevated her national profile.
On October 22, 2020, COVID-19 patients hospitalized in South Dakota reached a record high of 355, including 75 in Intensive Care Units.
In November 2020, Kristi Noem used pandemic relief funds to promote tourism during a surge in COVID-19 cases in South Dakota.
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".
As of December 2020, Kristi Noem was one of few governors who had not maintained statewide stay-at-home orders or face-mask mandates.
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.
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.
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".
In 2020, the 2019 project to build a fence around the governor's mansion was revived based on the recommendations of Noem's security team.
In 2020, the Trump-Pence ticket carried South Dakota, receiving 261,043 votes to 150,471 for the Biden-Harris ticket. Noem was initially designated as one of Trump's presidential electors but later withdrew.
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.
On February 8, 2021, circuit court judge Christina Klinger struck down the amendment legalizing recreational marijuana as unconstitutional.
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.
On April 23, 2021, Aaron Scheibe replaced Tony Venhuizen to become Noem's chief of staff.
On July 1, 2021, medical marijuana became legal in South Dakota after efforts to delay its implementation failed.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
On November 1, 2021, the Government Accountability Board set an agenda to discuss issues based on complaints brought by Ravnsborg.
In November 2021, Kristi Noem announced that she was running for reelection as governor of South Dakota.
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.
On November 19, 2021, Noem appointed Mark Miller as her fifth chief of staff, replacing Aaron Scheibe, who had served since May 1, 2021.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In February 2022, House Democratic Minority Leader Jamie Smith announced he was seeking the Democratic nomination.
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".
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.
Kristi Noem had until April 15, 2022, to answer both pending complaints referred to her by the Government Accountability Board.
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.
In 2022, Kristi Noem stated she doesn't believe the science has proven humans are affecting the climate.
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.
In 2022, Noem sought to build a gun range in Meade County using government funds, but the legislature rejected the proposal.
In 2022, the National Defense Authorization Act banned National Guard members from crossing state borders to perform duties paid for by private donors.
In September 2023, Noem endorsed Trump in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries at a rally in Rapid City, South Dakota.
In September 2023, Noem stated that she would agree to serve as Trump's running mate "in a heartbeat" when asked on Newsmax.
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.
At a 2023 NRA forum in Indiana, Noem mentioned that her two-year-old granddaughter possessed a shotgun, a rifle, and a "little pony named Sparkles".
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".
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.
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".
At the February 2024 CPAC conference, Noem tied with Vivek Ramaswamy as attendees' top choice for Trump's running mate, each receiving 15% of the vote in a straw poll.
In March 2024, CNN reported that Trump had shown increased interest in Noem as his running mate.
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.
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.
In March 2024, Trump invited Noem to appear with him at a rally in Vandalia, Ohio.
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.
In April 2024, it was reported that Noem's chances of being selected as Trump's running mate had decreased due to her stance on abortion and the controversial content in her book, "No Going Back".
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.
In August 2024, Kristi Noem and her sister were inducted into the Daughters of the American Revolution at the South Dakota State Fair.
On November 12, 2024, President-elect Trump selected Noem to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security in his second term.
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.
Around January 2025, Kristi Noem apologized to the tribes for the misunderstanding between them, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe dissolved its order banning her from its land.
On January 17, 2025, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a confirmation hearing for Noem.
After resigning as governor of South Dakota, Noem was sworn in on January 25, 2025, by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as Secretary of Homeland Security.
As of April 2025, the Trump administration claimed that approximately 140,000 people had been deported, though some estimates placed the actual number around half of that.
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.
On June 17, 2025, Kristi Noem was hospitalized for an unspecified allergic reaction but was released that night.
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.
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.
After the 2025 Potomac River mid-air collision, Noem deployed U.S. Coast Guard resources for search and rescue efforts.
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.
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