As we have seen, President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for Senate approval as the next Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This important nomination raises Trump’s nepotism further, as the South Dakota governor, Kristi Noem, is expected to oversee the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is responsible for the nation’s borders, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Secret Service, among others.
Also read: Trump nominates S. Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary
A Powerful Political Supporter of Trump
Noem has been a strong supporter of Trump right from the time the former held office as president. She was once one of his better picks for the vice-presidential candidate and has stayed true to his leadership. In her new position, Noem will control a large $60 billion budget and oversee thousands of workers at DHS, which supervises important organizations, such as US Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It also clearly shows that Trump wants to maintain his strict immigration policy, and other similar figures like Stephen Miller and Tom Homan were assigned to high ranks.
One of My Own Pet Peeves is Brought to Light
In particular, SD GOV Kristi Noem’s political profile is perfectly consistent with Trump’s vision, also given the fact, however, that there is a somewhat troublesome story from her private life. In her book No Going Back: When it comes to discussing the misconceptions about what ails politics and how to stem the bleeding to propel America forward, Noem shares about cats, and in particular about euthanizing an untrainable 14-month-old dog she adopted called Cricket. This decision made by Noem to kill the dog caused shame from the animal rights activists and the hunting groups because the dog had problems when hunting, especially when it killed chickens the last time it was taken out hunting.
Public Reaction
South Dakota’s residents and individuals engaged in the event have reacted differently or somewhat differently to the way Noem has treated Cricket’s situation. A lot of people in the farming and hunting communities have given their full understanding, while others are different. The attempt to equate it to other incidents where politicians were involved with their animals has only fueled the discussion. Other remarks regarding the handling of other animals and the killing of a family goat and three horses have stirred up more heated discussions but according to Noem, such actions are part of living on a farm. These conflicting views are important to consider because they detail whether her personal biases could impact her leadership at the DHS.
Also read: Trump Selects Fox News Host and Army Veteran Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense
Conclusion
When stating that American politics is still dominated by Trump’s policies, it exactly references the appointment of Kristi Noem as Secretary of DHS but brings up personal issues, too. Whether her leadership will be remembered for the extreme approach to immigration or will be framed by personal choices will only be seen. The outcome of the showdowns that she will encounter in the new position will determine the course of the Department of Homeland Security during the Trump administration.
