South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s appointment as a Trump cabinet secretary surprised many who believed her career had ended with the disastrous release of her book nine months prior. However, this outcome is unsurprising to Noem herself, who has consistently defied predictions of her downfall since her first statewide campaign fifteen years ago. Her initial campaign was marked by the revelation of twenty speeding tickets, the first of numerous scandals and controversies that she would navigate on her path to national prominence.
Following Senate confirmation, Noem resigned as governor, succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden. She now assumes leadership of a federal agency overseeing border security and immigration enforcement – two issues central to Trump’s agenda and his supporters. This high-stakes appointment could prove either a significant setback or a springboard for a potential 2028 presidential bid, given Trump’s inability to run again due to term limits. This calculated risk is characteristic of Noem, a 53-year-old whose life, as she stated in her controversial book “No Going Back,” has been defined by such decisions.
Noem’s risk-taking personality is largely attributed to her late father, Ron Arnold, a farmer and rancher whom she admired for his decisive nature. A tragic accident in 1994, where Arnold died while working in a grain bin, profoundly impacted Noem. The subsequent estate tax burden on the family fueled her political ambitions, beginning with her election to the state House of Representatives in 2006.
Her political career progressed rapidly. After serving in the state House, she won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010, successfully overcoming the earlier speeding ticket controversy. While in Congress, she actively supported legislation to weaken the estate tax, culminating in a prominent position at a White House event celebrating the passage of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017.
Following four terms in Congress, Noem returned to South Dakota and won the governorship in 2018. Her time as governor was marked by both significant achievements and considerable controversy. Her hands-off approach to COVID-19 restrictions, while praised by some, led to a high COVID-19 death rate in South Dakota. She also faced criticism for her handling of the Mount Rushmore fireworks display and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally during the pandemic. Furthermore, she garnered both praise and condemnation for her outspoken criticism of the Biden administration’s border policies, including deploying National Guard troops to the Texas border and claims about Mexican cartel activity on South Dakota reservations which resulted in tribal bans (some since lifted).
Other controversies included accusations of misuse of a state airplane, improper intervention in her daughter’s licensing, mismanagement of a flood, and allegations of an extramarital affair – all of which Noem denied. Despite these controversies, she won re-election in 2022, further solidifying her national profile and leading to speculation about a potential vice presidential run in 2024. However, the publication of excerpts from her book “No Going Back,” which included controversial accounts of shooting a dog and a goat, along with a retracted claim of meeting Kim Jong Un, resulted in widespread criticism.
Despite the negative media attention, Noem secured a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention and, shortly after Trump’s election victory, was appointed to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Her unwavering determination and willingness to embrace high-stakes decisions, encapsulated in her statement “Surrender was not an option,” have consistently shaped her career.