Kristi Noem to take over as US secretary homeland security

WASHINGTON: The US Senate on Saturday confirmed South Dakota governor Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a key agency in President Donald Trump´s push to clamp down on illegal immigration.

Also former infantryman and Fox News personality Pete Hegseth was sworn in as US defense secretary Saturday.

The vote came a day after US lawmakers narrowly confirmed former Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth to be Pentagon chief, adding to previous national security posts already greenlit for Trump´s cabinet, including the secretary of state and CIA director.

Noem, 53, a Trump ally and second-term governor of the north-central US state, takes control of the US agency overseeing border enforcement and migrant deportations, which also leads federal efforts on cybersecurity, terrorism and emergency management.

Trump on Friday said he would sign an order seeking to scrap the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), after he harshly criticized its response to two devastating hurricanes during last year´s election campaign.

Noem is best known internationally for sinking her chances of being Trump´s vice-presidential pick with her cheerful admission that she had shot her dog, Cricket, because it was “untrainable.”

She is also known for making South Dakota -- far from the border with Mexico -- among the first Republican-led states to send National Guards troops to the frontier, earning plaudits from conservatives.

During her confirmation hearing last week, Noem said the southern border would be a top priority, asserting America’s “responsibility to secure our borders against those who would do us harm,” while stressing that the system must be fair and lawful.

Noem was also asked at the hearing to address the distribution of disaster aid.

She vowed “there will be no political bias to how disaster relief is delivered to the American people.”

But Trump on Friday, after expressing his intent to close FEMA, threatened to withhold assistance to California as it faces a historic wave of wildfires unless the Democratic-led state changes its voting laws and environmental regulations.

In a related development, former infantryman and Fox News personality Pete Hegseth was sworn in as US defense secretary Saturday, having narrowly won Senate confirmation despite allegations of alcohol abuse, sexual misconduct and concerns over inexperience.

Pledging to “restore the warrior ethos” in the Pentagon, Hegseth in brief remarks thanked President Donald Trump for selecting him and Vice President JD Vance for his tie-breaking vote in the Senate that allowed his nomination to pass.

Vance´s vote Friday evening was only the second time in history a vice president had to intervene to save a cabinet nominee and came after three Republicans -- including former leader Mitch McConnell -- cast ballots against Hegseth.

The razor-edge result underscored concerns about Hegseth, who takes over the Pentagon with war raging in Ukraine, the Middle East volatile despite ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza, and as Trump expands the military´s role in security on the US-Mexico border.

The 44-year-old is a former Army National Guard officer and Bronze Star recipient with previous deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Until recently, he worked as a co-host for Fox News -- one of Trump´s favored television channels.

Hegseth has a combative media personality, fierce loyalty and telegenic looks -- common hallmarks in Trump´s entourage.

Supporters say Hegseth´s deployments give him the insight to run the Defense Department better than more experienced officials who would normally be considered for the job.