South Dakota governor Kristi Noem — whom you may remember as the politician who wrote about killing her dog and then doubled down after facing criticism — is Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, CNN reported Tuesday. Noem previously had been on Trump’s shortlist for vice-president but ultimately was beat out by J.D. Vance.
The Homeland Security secretary is broadly responsible for implementing U.S. immigration policy, and Noem has taken hardline immigration positions in the past, including being a staunch supporter of Trump’s Muslim ban in 2017. In addition to overseeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), DHS also heads the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, whose Tribal Government Affairs team handles relationships with tribal governments. That could get awkward for Noem, who once made such offensive comments about tribal reservations during a state capitol address that all nine of South Dakota’s federally recognized tribes banned her from their reservations, according to The Guardian.
The person in charge of DHS also oversees the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Coast Guard, and several other offices related to security and cybersecurity. As such, Noem will also be tasked with managing the federal response to major crises. Considering that she made a name for herself as one of the only state governors who refused to put any protective measures against COVID-19 in place, it’s unclear what, if any, response we can expect from her in a future public-health emergency or natural disaster.
Between Noem controlling the nation’s borders and RFK Jr. potentially managing public health, the human population of the country could be in for a rough four years; hopefully their new jobs will keep them busy enough to at least leave the dogs, bears, and whales alone.