Noem to DHS

A pattern is emerging in Trump's appointments.

“Kristi Noem” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

With the news that Kristi Noem will be head of the Department of Homeland Security, the common thread through the appointments to date is loyalty to Trump.

While as a general matter being the governor of state (even one with a small population) is at least a minimal qualification for a cabinet position, this is a a pretty major one. This is triply so given Trump’s desire to engage in massive deportations.

This fits into #6 on list, in my view.

Noem is known, primarily, for her opposition to Covid restrictions and for killing her puppy because it wouldn’t behave.

FILED UNDER: Open Forum,
Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a retired Professor of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. gVOR10 says:

    What do you mean unqualified? She’s shown complete obsequiousness to Trump. Plus, I’ve read that Trump dislikes dogs. And she bears a resemblance to Ivanka. She’s perfect for Trump.

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  2. Sleeping Dog says:

    Given that it has long been telegraphed that the key determinant of qualification would be fealty to trump, we should not be surprised. Of course the Senate will roll over on these appointments and even allow recess appointments, which is how he’s get some of the ugliest through.

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  3. al Ameda says:

    She’s cold and cruel. There will be no compatibility issues. Perfect.

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  4. Jc says:

    She governor of a state with a smaller population than nearby Fairfax County, VA. If she treats dog and goat lives with such disregard, how much different will she treat human beings? DHS now Department of Heartless Sycophants. I am sure loyal to the end, but as you noted, unqualified for the position. Strange appointment

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  5. CSK says:

    @gVOR10:

    i’m surprised Noem hasn’t bleached her hair blonde.

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  6. Lucysfootball says:

    Can the Democrats filibuster a cabinet appointment? If so, she should be filibustered. Unqualified, cruel, practices abuse of power (used her office to enable her daughter to get a real estate appraiser’s license). Those three attributes make her perfect for the Trump cabinet, but leave her totally unqualified to actually do the job.
    Besides, she doesn’t have enough time to take all illegal immigrants to the gravel pit.

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  7. CSK says:

    The Daily Beast has a great headline: “Trump Hands Puppy Killer One of America’s Most Important Jobs.”

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  8. Scott says:

    Plus she fooled around with Corey Lewandowski. That alone is indicative of her judgement. And maybe his.

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  9. the common thread through the appointments to date is loyalty to Trump.

    Shocking.

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  10. CSK says:

    @Scott:

    As a woman, I will never, ever understand the appeal of that loathsome little toad.

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  11. just nutha says:

    Okay, maybe there was a choice worse than Steven Miller for DHS. I stand corrected.

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  12. Sleeping Dog says:

    @CSK:

    Because you’re not a loathsome toadette.

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  13. Michael Reynolds says:

    I assume with the office comes control of the No Fly list?

    ETA: BTW, I will wager that after his first full year in office, Trump will have deported fewer than 100,000 people, which will not keep pace with the influx of illegal immigrants.

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  14. Gustopher says:

    I see nothing concerning about someone best known for cruelty to animals in a gravel pit being put in charge of agencies that will execute a mass deportation.

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  15. just nutha says:

    @Michael Reynolds: Congress is not going to agree to additional funding for immigration court– not even Republicans are going to agree–so,

    WELL DUH!

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  16. Rob1 says:

    Department of Homeland Security, eh?

    She’ll keep us safe from rowdy puppies.

    To Trump the victor, go the spoilt.

    Noem: “I hated that dog,” Noem writes, adding that Cricket had proved herself “untrainable”, “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with” and “less than worthless … as a hunting dog”.

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  17. Bobert says:

    @Michael Reynolds: that maybe so, but he’ll have terrorized millions of otherwise good people.

    Cruelty is the objective.

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  18. Ken_L says:

    @Lucysfootball:

    Can the Democrats filibuster a cabinet appointment?

    No. They can play a few games to slow down the confirmation, but that’s about it.

    Democrats and at least four Republicans can, however, refuse to confirm an appointment. I expect Joni Ernst, Lindsay Graham, Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney and a few others have already let Trump know they will not vote to confirm Major Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.

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  19. Matt Bernius says:

    @Lucysfootball:

    Can the Democrats filibuster a cabinet appointment?

    Yes. The filibuster can be used to block cloture votes for top-level cabinet positions and other Level 1 executive appointments.

    As covered in the recess appointment post yesterday, lower positions can no longer be filibustered (only require a simple majority vote to end discussion).

    https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/96-548

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