Kristi Noem appears to be positioning herself for a presidential run, utilizing her role within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as an unconventional springboard to amplify her political aspirations while Donald Trump remains in office.
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The Wall Street Journal recently shed light on Noem’s ambitions and the chaotic environment she has fostered at DHS:
In the early days of her tenure, Noem allocated $200 million from the DHS budget to launch an advertising campaign that brazenly urged undocumented immigrants to “leave now”—in English, no less.
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This initiative reportedly stirred discontent among administration insiders, who felt that the campaign was more a reflection of Noem’s personal aspirations than a genuine effort to convey the administration’s policy message.
Furthermore, she refers to internal meetings with subagency heads as “cabinet meetings,” a move perceived by some staff as an indication of her intentions to elevate her profile within the administration, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Noem, who aligns herself with the Trump faction of the Republican Party, is also said to be involved in an extramarital affair with Corey Lewandowski, despite both being married. In a previous political landscape, such personal choices may have disqualified someone from presidential consideration; however, in today’s GOP, she sees herself as a viable candidate for 2028.
Notably, the role of DHS Secretary does not extend to overseeing U.S. elections.
This, however, hasn’t deterred Noem from her shadow campaign, as she has recently engaged with the SAVE Act—a proposal that is already facing an uphill battle in the Senate.
