South Dakotans have 'zero faith' in DHS pick Kristi Noem after botched handling of flood disaster

11 December 2024

During the 2024 presidential race, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was surrounded by controversy. Noem hoped that Donald Trump would choose her as his running mate, but her hopes were dashed thanks to the backlash over an anecdote in her book "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward."

Noem, in the book, recalled taking a puppy to a gravel pit on a farm and shooting it dead. The GOP governor evidently hoped the anecdote would make her appear strong, tough and decisive and increase her MAGA street cred; instead, the backlash ended her chances of becoming Trump's vice-president.

But now that Trump is president-elect, he has picked Noem to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). And so far, the nomination hasn't sparked as much controversy as some of Trump's other nominations — for example, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for national intelligence director, Kash Patel for FBI director, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

However, Noem's response to a June 2024 flooding disaster in South Dakota is, according to CNN, drawing some scrutiny in her state.

In an article published on December 11, CNN reporters Bob Ortega, Yahya Abou-Ghazala, Anna-Maja Rappard, Kyung Lah explain, "Kristi Noem, the state's Republican governor, at the time a contender for Donald Trump's vice-presidential pick, had other priorities. Noem delayed requesting federal disaster assistance. As for the National Guard, she had already deployed a significant contingent of guardsmen — but not to the flooded area. Rather, they were more than a thousand miles away supporting her Texas counterpart's high-profile anti-immigration campaign along the U.S.-Mexico border."

The journalists continue, "Noem boasted of being 'the first governor to send National Guard to the southern border'…. For some, the governor seemed more interested in cozying up to Trump and bolstering her MAGA credentials than in helping her own constituents."

The CNN journalists note that with Noem now nominated for Homeland Security secretary, her "handling" of that disaster "offers a lens into how she may manage her sprawling responsibilities at DHS."

"These include not only securing the border and policing immigration, but also, customs enforcement and oversight of such diverse agencies as the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service," Ortega, Abou-Ghazala, Rappard, and Lah explain. "Noem also would have to juggle Trump's promises of massive deportations with the reality that thousands of businesses, including in her own state, rely on undocumented workers to fill vacancies or do work that U.S. citizens won't do."

South Dakota-based environmental activist Renae Hansen is among the Noem critics who is questioning her ability to lead DHS.

Hansen told CNN, "I have zero faith that Gov. Noem is going to be instrumental in helping after a natural disaster. They better make a plan for themselves. It was everyone for yourself when it came down to our disaster.… our city failed us, our county failed us, and our state failed us.”

Read CNN's full report at this link.

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