Donald Trump picks Kristi Noem for homeland security chief
The South Dakota governor, a staunch ally of the US president-elect, has called the border with Mexico a ‘war zone’
US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to serve as the next homeland security secretary, choosing a staunch ally who has little experience on the national security stage.
Noem, once seen as a possible running mate for fellow Republican Trump, is currently serving her second four-year term as governor after a landslide re-election victory in 2022. She rose to national prominence after refusing to impose a statewide mask mandate during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 260,000-person US Department of Homeland Security has a sprawling mission that includes border security, countering terrorist threats and cybersecurity. “Kristi has been very strong on Border Security.
She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times,” Trump said in a statement. He said Noem would work closely with his “border tsar”, Tom Homan. In an X post, Noem said she looked forward to working with Homan to “make America SAFE again”.
“With Donald Trump, we will secure the border and restore safety to American communities so families will again have the opportunity to pursue the American Dream,” she said.
