(Sioux Falls, SD) — Several of South Dakota’s Republicans are keeping mum on Kristi Noem’s ouster as Department of Homeland Security secretary. GOP candidates for governor Dusty Johnson, Toby Doeden, Jon Hansen and incumbent Larry Rhoden declined to criticize President Trump on the change at DHS from South Dakota’s former governor to Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin.
They instead praised Noem’s work and expressed confidence in Trump’s decision and Mullin’s leadership. Noem will serve as DHS secretary through the end of the month before Mullin takes over.
Meantime, Noem is settling in to a new role. The former South Dakota governor attended the Shield of the Americas Summit in Florida on Saturday. President Trump appointed Noem as Special Envoy to the summit two days after her removal as DHS secretary. The summit is an alliance between the United States and several Latin American nations. Noem said at the summit that the goal of the alliance is to make the Western Hemisphere safer, more sovereign, and more prosperous.
