The Rise And Fall Of Kristi Noem Has Been A Wild Ride

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Kristi Noem grew up on a ranch in South Dakota and dropped out of college after losing her father in a tragic accident in 1994. She told CBS how it shook her family. "It turned our whole lives upside down. He was the guy who could do anything," she said. "I remember going to bed that night thinking, 'I have no idea what tomorrow looks like because he's not here.'"

Noem didn't finish her degree until 18 years later. Eventually, Noem also worked her way from the state legislature to the governor's mansion to President Donald Trump's cabinet. But having a good origin story only gets you so far if you keep undermining it. There's a difference between a politician who catches bad breaks and one who keeps handing people reasons to doubt them. Noem has looked a lot like the second kind. The Cricket story alone would have been enough to follow someone around for years. But then there were the affair rumors, the lavish lifestyle that seemed hard to square with her ranch-girl roots, and the "ICE Barbie" label she couldn't quite shake. According to Dakota News Now, a 2025 poll suggested that nearly half of South Dakotans had an unfavorable view of her.

None of that stopped Trump from handing her the Department of Homeland Security. And when she got there, she backed aggressive ICE operations and defended deportation flights, drawing legal challenges and international criticism. By the time Trump decided she was more of a liability than an asset, the writing had been on the wall for a while.

Kristi Noem started in the South Dakota statehouse in 2006, and by 2010, she had beaten a Democratic incumbent to claim the state's only U.S. House seat. She has often tied her entry into politics to her father's death (via CBS). "People ask how I got involved in government and politics, it was because of that tragic situation," she told Fox in 2022. "It made me start showing up and getting involved in policies that really do, tragically, crush families."

According to Roll Call and Aberdeen News, Noem has also reflected on being crowned the local "Snow Queen" in 1990, saying it gave her her first real chance to sit for an interview and speak in front of people. As governor of South Dakota from 2019 to 2025, she signed a series of high-profile bills that helped cement her conservative brand. 

Dakota News Now reported that in 2023, she signed 12 election measures, including a ban on ballot drop boxes and stricter residency requirements for voting. And in 2021, she drew national attention for signing SB 100, a measure that continued South Dakota's prohibition on the seizure of firearms and ammunition (via South Dakota State News).

Kristi Noem has never hidden that she's comfortable on camera. While in office, the South Dakota politician had a studio installed inside the governor's mansion and spent about $75,000 on makeup, according to Dakota Free Press. That eye for performance helped make her a national figure but kept causing problems at home.

While much of the country saw statewide restrictions roll out, Noem resisted issuing lockdown or mask-mandate orders. According to The Guardian, her state went on to record one of the highest per-capita infection rates in the country. A judge at the time was quoted as saying, "South Dakota is now a very dangerous place in which to live" (via The Daily Beast).

Her clashes with Native American tribal leaders also escalated into something concrete. In 2019, the Oglala Sioux Tribe barred Noem from Pine Ridge Reservation after she backed anti-protest legislation, The Associated Press reported. By early 2024, more tribes were barring her. CBS noted that by early 2024, a fifth tribe had formally banned Noem, while several other tribal governments appeared to be considering similar actions. 

The same outlet also stated that Noem had publicly referenced immigration, drug cartels, and Native American reservations in the same breath. The comparison drew sharp criticism from tribal leaders. Noem, for her part, argued the bans didn't address the underlying issues. "Banishing me does absolutely nothing to solve this problem," she said (via The Independent). But by May 2024, all nine recognized South Dakota tribes had done so.

Kristi Noem took some of her toughest heat in 2021 for allegedly intervening in her daughter Kassidy Peters' real estate appraiser license application. After Peters' application was initially denied, questions arose about a meeting Noem held with state officials connected to the licensing process. The controversy escalated in 2022 when the Operations and Audit Committee reported that Peters was given preferential treatment, according to The Associated Press.

Noem denied any wrongdoing, releasing a video at the time saying, "I never once asked for special treatment for Kassidy." She added, "I raised her to accomplish things on her own" (via HuffPost). In a Newsmax interview, Noem expressed frustration with the backlash: "It's unfortunate that they think they have to stoop that low ... now they're going after my kids."

Noem certainly takes her identity as a mother seriously. In a 2024 Mother's Day reflection reported by Dakota News Now, she said, "Being a mom and a grandma has been the biggest blessing of my life." And looking back on becoming a young mother while juggling the family farm, she told The Christian Broadcasting Network, "[A]ll I knew to do was what my dad would have done, and that was work and take care of business."

In 2024, a passage from Kristi Noem's memoir, "No Going Back," started circulating widely. Noem wrote that she shot Cricket, her 14-month-old puppy, after deciding the dog was "untrainable." Cricket had bitten her, she said, and kept ruining hunting trips. "I hated that dog," she wrote. A Politico-cited poll found 81% of Americans disapproved of what she did.

Noem tried to explain it on Fox. "I had a choice between keeping my small children and other people safe or a dangerous animal, and I chose the safety of my children," she said. On X, she argued, "We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm." Rolling Stone later reported that sources close to President Donald Trump said he was "disgusted" by the confession.

The big scandal also appeared to affect her standing in Republican circles as Donald Trump's possible running mate in the 2024 election race. ABC quoted Sean Spicer, Trump's first White House press secretary, who was reportedly still in touch with the campaign. "To a person, everyone agrees she killed her chances, pun intended," Spicer said. "The bigger issue politically speaking is why anyone thought putting this in a book was a good idea — editors, agent, etc."

All of it was especially jarring given what Noem has previously said about having guns as a normal part of her upbringing. At a National Rifle Association (NRA) event in 2023, she said, "We had a gun cabinet in our living room." "We had a shotgun hanging in the back window of every single pickup and tractor."

Kristi Noem came under scrutiny after an early version of her memoir, "No Going Back," included a surprising line suggesting she had met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The passage, quoted by The New York Times, reads: "I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I'm sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I'd been a children's pastor, after all)."

In a statement to The Independent, Ian Fury, the chief of communications for Noem's office, said: "It was brought to our attention that the upcoming book 'No Going Back' has two small errors. This has been communicated to the ghostwriter and editor. Kim Jong Un was included in a list of world leaders and shouldn't have been."

Noem also avoided giving a direct answer when asked about it on CBS. In an interview with Margaret Brennan on "Face the Nation," she said, "As soon as it was brought to my attention, we went forward and have made some edits." When Brennan asked again whether she had ever met Kim Jong-un, Noem said: "I've met with many, many world leaders ... I'm not going to talk about my specific meetings with world leaders, I'm just not going to do that."

Kristi Noem faced another round of criticism in 2024 after a video appeared of her promoting a cosmetic dentistry clinic in Texas. In a five-minute clip posted on X, Noem praised the business by name, saying, "I'm the governor of South Dakota and had the opportunity to come to Smile Texas to fix my teeth, which has been absolutely amazing."

Not long afterward, The Guardian reported that Travelers United, a consumer advocacy group, filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. The group argued that Noem violated Federal Trade Commission guidelines because the post did not clearly disclose whether she had any financial or other material relationship with the clinic. Travelers United also said public officials should be held to higher ethical standards than typical social media promoters.

Travelers United attorney Lauren Wolfe acknowledged to Mediaite that they did not have proof Noem was paid, but said, "We want to make sure influencers can't make up false claims about themselves, can't make up false claims about products — that's what our lawsuits have been based on." Wolfe added, "Our goal is just to get her to correct the posts, not any sort of massive penalties or anything like that." Meanwhile, Noem rejected the accusations. In a post on X, she wrote: "To be clear, I never received compensation for any alleged 'advertisements.'"

Kristi Noem made history in 2025 when she was confirmed as the Secretary of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump. A longtime Trump ally, Noem had consistently backed his tough approach to immigration and border enforcement. After President Donald Trump's reelection, Noem declared her commitment to these priorities. 

"President Trump will deport the most dangerous illegal aliens first — the murderers, rapists, and other criminals that Harris and Biden let into the country. They do not belong here, and we will not let them back in," she wrote on X. Her nomination was confirmed on January 25, 2025, by a 59 to 34 vote, according to the official Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website. After she was confirmed, Noem resigned as South Dakota's governor, a job she had held since 2019, and her lieutenant governor, Larry Rhoden, took over. 

ExecutiveGov noted the historic nature of the appointment, reporting that Noem became the first woman to serve as Homeland Security secretary. During her testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Noem said she wanted the job because it aligned with Trump's agenda. "The reason that I asked for it is because I knew it was the president's No. 1 priority," she said, as quoted by NPR.

Kristi Noem has faced fresh scrutiny over allegations of an inappropriate relationship with Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Republican operative who had worked closely in her orbit. Whispers about the two had been around for years, dating back to at least 2021 when Noem was still governor. The Wall Street Journal reported that the two had traveled together on flights multiple times in the past. Intelligencer cited a FEMA official who reportedly called the alleged relationship the "worst-kept secret in D.C."

After Noem went to Homeland Security, Lewandowski remained a familiar presence. Politico reported that he assisted during the transition and was brought into DHS as a "special government employee." The issue surfaced publicly in a major way during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on March 4, 2026.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) asked Noem directly, "At any time during your tenure as director of the Department of Homeland Security, have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?" Noem did not give a clear yes or no. When asked more broadly whether she was having an affair, Noem said, "I am shocked that we're going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee today" (via CBS).

Kristi Noem's time running the Department of Homeland Security ended in March 2026, when President Donald Trump removed her a little more than a year after she took the job. Trump announced on Truth Social that Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma would replace her, starting March 31, 2026. One official told NBC the decision followed "a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures." The official further said, "Kristi's drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration's extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force."

At the House Judiciary Committee hearing, lawmakers grilled her over a $220 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign and the conflict-of-interest concerns around it. Rep. Joe Neguse singled out one piece of it, a $143 million contract that went to a company tied to Noem's political allies in South Dakota, and he flatly called it "fraud."

Questions about spending followed her as well. The New York Times reported that Noem approved the purchase of two private jets in 2025, using more than $172 million in agency funds. According to USA Today, she also spent more than $65,000 upgrading the governor's residence with high-end items such as chandeliers and a sauna.

In March 2026, President Donald Trump said Kristi Noem would move into a new role as special envoy for an initiative he called "The Shield of the Americas." The Independent reported the effort is meant to curb mass migration toward the United States and target drug cartels.

Trump announced the shift on Truth Social, saying she would take the envoy job as part of a new Western Hemisphere security push. "The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas," he wrote. Noem, for her part, took to X to argue she was leaving behind a strong record.

She credited DHS with what she called "the MOST secure border in American history." She also claimed that millions of people in the country illegally had left, and that DHS located a large number of unaccompanied children. Noem further added: "As Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, I will build on the years of national security expertise I forged during my time as Secretary of Homeland Security, Governor of South Dakota, and Congresswoman on the House Armed Services Committee."

Kristi Noem's already difficult stretch took on a more personal dimension in March 2026, when an awkward report about her husband added a fresh source of public scrutiny. The Daily Mail alleged that Bryon Noem used the pseudonym "Jason Jackson" to contact adult models and sent at least $25,000 to women he interacted with online. The outlet said national security experts warned the situation could have left Noem vulnerable to blackmail while she was serving as DHS chief.

Meanwhile, Kristi Noem's team told The New York Post: "Ms. Noem is devastated. The family was blindsided by this, and they ask for privacy and prayers at the time." The story also fed back into the long-running Corey Lewandowski rumors. One woman who said she'd been messaging Bryon Noem told the Daily Mail she asked him directly about the Noem-Lewandowski rumors after seeing it in the news. "I asked him about it, and his response was, 'I know. There's nothing I can do about it,'" she said.

A family member, speaking to The New York Post, described Bryon Noem as someone who had accepted being in the background for years. "He said he decided about 20 years ago that it was his calling from God to support her in whatever she decided to do," the family member said. "So he has put up with the humiliation. We will see if he sticks with her now."