Overview

Kristi Lynn Noem served as the 33rd Governor of South Dakota from 2019 to 2025 and was appointed Secretary of Homeland Security by President Donald Trump in 2025. During the COVID-19 pandemic; Noem gained national prominence as one of the only governors to refuse statewide shutdown orders; mask mandates; or business closures; even as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August 2020 became one of the largest super-spreader events in the country (an estimated 460,000 attendees). South Dakota had one of the highest per capita COVID death rates in the nation. In May 2024; Noem published a memoir "No Going Back" in which she admitted to shooting and killing her 14-month-old wire-haired pointer puppy Cricket because the dog was "untrainable" and "dangerous"; along with a goat she found "disgusting." The revelation caused bipartisan outrage and was seen as severely damaging her vice-presidential prospects. Noem was also investigated by the South Dakota legislature for using a state plane for personal travel and for intervening in her daughter's application for a real estate appraiser license; the appraiser certification director who handled the case received a $200,000 settlement after her position was eliminated. As DHS Secretary; Noem oversees immigration enforcement; ICE; CBP; and border security operations under the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies.

Key Affiliations

Controversies & Concerns

Related Investigations (2)

Known Associates & Connections

Sources & Documentation

3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports