Former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem bid South Dakota a happy pheasant hunting season on Saturday with a post on X that included a photo of her in hunting gear holding a gun while next to a dog, prompting a slew of concerned comments on the internet. The post comes a day after a State Department official said that Noem was no longer special envoy to the Shield of the Americas coalition, which is a role she filled after being fired as DHS secretary in March. According to a document shared by Noem on X on Friday, the position was "always a six-month appointment," and Noem remains a senior adviser within the State Department.
Newsweek reached out to representatives for Noem by email and to the U.S. Department of State by online contact form for comment on Saturday afternoon. Noem served as governor of South Dakota from 2019 to 2025 before leaving the role to become President Donald Trump's DHS secretary.
A prominent Trump ally and avid hunter, she was once considered a leading contender to be his running mate in 2024. However, that speculation faded after the publication of excerpts from her memoir No Going Back, in which she recounted shooting her 14-month-old dog, Cricket, after deeming it "untrainable," sparking widespread backlash. She returned to the headlines earlier this year when The Daily Mail reported that her husband, Bryon Noem, had allegedly led a double life that included wearing fake breasts and communicating with fetish models online.
Noem filed for divorce from her husband in September. On Friday, news broke that Noem's role as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas had ended. "Shield of the Americas" was a Trump administration security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere, aimed at countering drug trafficking, transnational criminal networks and illegal migration.
As special envoy, Noem represented the administration as it coordinated with regional leaders on security and enforcement efforts. In that role, she reported to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. She is now senior adviser to Landau, where she will continue working on the Shield of the Americas initiative.
On Friday, Noem shared a screenshot of a comment from the Department of State regarding her change in position. "The Special Envoy to the Shield of the Americas role was always a six-month appointment," the statement said. "Secretary Noem remains at the State Department as a Senior Advisor." On Saturday, social media expressed concern over the dog pictured with Noem in her X post.
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