Donald Trump is set to announce South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as his next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, according to reports.
The 52-year-old one-time vice president hopeful is set to head up the agency as Trump looks to crack down on immigration, two sources told CNN on Monday evening.
The GOP congresswoman will oversee a $60 billion budget and thousands of employees from federal agencies ranging from the US Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the US Secret Service.
It follows the rehire of Tom Homan, the former acting director of ICE, as the president-elect’s “border tsar”. Trump has also announced the appointment of immigration hardliner Steve Miller as his incoming White House deputy chief of staff for policy.
Marco Rubio is supposedly in the running for Secretary of State, sources told CBS, with a flurry of GOP members of congress already congratulating the Florida senator.
While Florida Representative Michael Waltz, who was re-elected to the lower chamber last week, is tipped to serve as national security adviser.
Noem’s purported appointment comes as Trump continues to fill the top ranks in his incoming administration after clinching re-election at the 2024 presidential elections last week.
The Republican candidate surpassed the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes early on Wednesday after clinching several must-win swing states.
Susie Wiles, who was co-chair of the Trump campaign, was appointed as incoming White House chief of staff.
Trump has also picked former New York Representative Lee Zeldin to take charge of the Environmental Protection Agency in what is expected to see a thorough reshuffle.
On Sunday evening, the president-elect confirmed New York Representative Elise Stefanik as the incoming US ambassador to the United Nations, branding her as “strong, tough, and smart America First fighter” in a statement to the New York Post.
More to follow.
