President-elect Donald Trump has chosen South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as his nominee for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, according to two sources familiar with the decision.
Noem is set to take the helm of the department at a time when two staunch immigration hardliners—Stephen Miller and Tom Homan—are expected to play prominent roles within the agency. This move indicates that Trump is committed to fulfilling his immigration crackdown promises. By selecting Noem, Trump ensures that a trusted ally will lead an agency central to his domestic policy priorities.
The Department of Homeland Security experienced significant upheaval during Trump’s previous tenure, with five different leaders at the agency, two of whom were confirmed by the Senate. DHS, with its substantial $60 billion budget and vast workforce of hundreds of thousands, struggled to maintain stability.
Noem, a former representative from South Dakota, now faces the responsibility of managing an extensive agency that oversees a wide range of operations, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Secret Service.
Although she was once considered for Trump’s vice-presidential ticket, Noem’s relationship with him soured after the controversial release of her book, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward. In the book, Noem disclosed that she had once killed her 14-month-old wirehair pointer, Cricket, because the dog did not meet her expectations as a hunting companion.
In the book, she described the dog as “untrainable,” according to excerpts first reported by The Guardian. Noem later clarified that these stories were meant to demonstrate her willingness to take on tough, sometimes unpleasant tasks when necessary.
{Matzav.com}