On Saturday, the Senate confirmed to the governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem, as the new Secretary of National Security, placing it at the head of one of the most critical agencies in the country in charge of safeguarding national security and enforcing immigration laws.
Confirmation occurs while President Donald Trump continues to solidify his national security team. After the dramatic tiebreaker vote on Friday night he confirmed to the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegesh, the Senate also approved the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, at the beginning of the week. The next vote, scheduled for Monday, will determine the fate of Scott Besent as secretary of the Treasury.
Noem, Trump’s closest ally, received bipartisan support in the Senate Government and National Security Committee at the beginning of this week, with a vote of 13 to 2 that advanced its nomination. While Republicans have a majority in the Senate, the experience and dedication of Noem to the Trump’s immigration and border security agenda earned him the support of all parties.
“Solving this crisis and restoring respect for the rule of law is one of the main priorities of President Trump and the Republicans,” said the leader of the majority of the Senate, John Thune. “Kristi Noem has the determination and experience to lead the Department of National Security during this challenging period.” “
However, the nomination was not exempt from criticism. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, expressed concern about Noem’s uncompromising position in the field of immigration and said: “We need bipartisan solutions to address the border crisis, but Noem seems to go in the wrong direction.”
Future challenges for Noem
As Secretary of National Security, Noem will supervise critical agencies such as the US Customs and Border Protection Office, the Customs Immigration and Control Service (ICE) and citizenship and immigration services. The function also implies managing the safety of airlines, protecting dignitaries and responding to natural disasters.
Trump’s plans to involve the army in the application of the Immigration Law and reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) could put Noem in the center of attention immediately. Doubts arose about his impartiality during his audience in the Senate when the Democratic legislators pressed it about whether he would administer the aid by disaster impartially. Although Noem assured the committee that the law would comply with, it avoided addressing Trump in controversial situations.
A controversial figure
Noem’s rapid rise in the Republican Party has been promoted by its alignment with Trump’s policies. He previously served as the sole representative of the United States House of Representatives in Dakota del Sur for eight years before becoming a governor in 2019. Her mandate as governor saw her duplicate Trump’s rhetoric, referring to the border between the United States and Mexico as an “invasion” and deploying troops from the South Dakota National Guard. To Texas to help with the operation Lone Star.
This decision generated criticism, particularly because the deployment was financed with a donation of one million dollars from a Tennessee billionaire, which generated doubts about their priorities. “It’s a war zone down there,” said Noem at that time, defending his actions.
His political career has not been exempt from errors. A book that published last year caused controversy for her story that she killed her hunting dog and a false statement that she met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Looking forward
Noem assumes the control of an agency that has had six leaders during Trump’s first mandate, inheriting a complex portfolio that includes Trump’s ambitious goal of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants. In South Dakota, Noem faced challenges to balance Trump’s hard line policies with the needs of an agricultural state that depends on labor.
As a new secretary of National Security, Noem’s ability to face these challenges and execute Trump’s vision will define his mandate and his political legacy.
Read too | Compare yourself: Chinese Foreign Minister warns the US Secretary of State for the first conversation
By
