Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem quietly moved into new roles at the State Department after her special envoy status expired last month.
President Donald Trump fired her from his cabinet earlier this year after multiple controversies while she led the Department of Homeland Security. Noem then joined the State Department as special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” focusing on Western Hemisphere security — a position very different from her previous Cabinet role.
In her new role, she will continue to work on similar issues, a State Department official handling the matter told CNN.
“Kristi Noem’s envoy status expired last month and she no longer serves in that role,” the official said. “She now serves as a senior advisor to Deputy Secretary Landau and continues to work on the Americas Shield portfolio.”
Noem had previously reported to Landau in her role as special envoy, a close source said.
The former DHS secretary said in a statement published on X on Friday that the role of special envoy “was always a six-month appointment.”
At an Americas Shield meeting last month at the United Nations General Assembly, Trump praised Noem, saying, “I want to thank Kristi Noem for doing a really great job. » Likewise, Trump often publicly praised Noem during her tenure as Secretary of Homeland Security.
But internally, his agency still faced enormous pressure from the White House to meet the president’s immigration enforcement priorities. As CNN previously reported, citing officials, the agency’s aggressive — and sometimes haphazard — approach has fueled tensions within the department.
Her ouster in March came after Noem told lawmakers that Trump approved his agency’s lavish spending on an ad campaign that highlighted her.
Trump “was pissed,” according to Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy, who asked Noem about Trump’s involvement and received a call from the president later in the day.
Trump told NBC News he was unaware of the campaign and added that he “wasn’t happy about it.”
Two days after the hearing, Trump called Noem to let her know he had decided to fire her, sources told CNN at the time. She learned of the president’s decision as she arrived at an event in Nashville.
The president also immediately announced that he was selecting then-Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to replace her.
Before joining the second Trump administration, Noem served as governor of South Dakota and established herself as a Trump loyalist.
She was one of the first governors to support Trump before his 2024 presidential bid, and was once considered a top potential running mate before ultimately falling off the short list.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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