South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was sworn in as the new Secretary of Homeland Security not in the grandeur of Washington D.C.’s planned locations, but in the private residence of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
This last-minute change came after a scheduling hiccup earlier in the day, according to Fox News.
This unexpected venue change was necessitated by what JD Vance’s Press Secretary Taylor Van Kirk described as a “scheduling conflict,” which caused the planned 3 p.m. ceremony to be postponed several times throughout the day.
WATCH:
What happened with Kristi Noem swearing in ceremony pic.twitter.com/UG89SfUGFg
— Karli Bonne’ (@KarluskaP) January 26, 2025
The ceremony’s shift from a formal government setting to a personal one did little to dampen the spirits of those involved.
At around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Noem took to X to share the significant moment.
“It is such an honor to be sworn in as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security. It was made even more meaningful by being sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at his home. Thank you, President Trump for putting your trust in me to help keep America safe,” she wrote.
WATCH:
It is such an honor to be sworn in as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security. It was made even more meaningful by being sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at his home. Thank you, President Trump for putting your trust in me to help keep America safe. pic.twitter.com/5gHiGKW0kp
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) January 25, 2025
On Saturday morning, Governor Kristi Noem passed through a confirmation vote on the Senate floor.
The South Dakota Governor won 59 votes, with 34 Democrats voting no.
Noem will follow Alejandro Mayorkas in this very important position. Mayorkas is not only a serial liar, but he facilitated the greatest mass invasion of illegal migrants into a country in global history. Mayorkas truly is an enemy of America like many of Joe Biden’s cronies.
“As the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, I will work every day to keep all Americans safe and secure. One of my top priorities is achieving President Trump’s mandate from the American people to secure our southern border and fix our broken immigration system,” Noem said in a statement after Saturday’s vote.
“The Trump Administration will once-again empower our brave men and women in law enforcement to do their jobs and remove criminal aliens and illegal gangs from our country. We will fully equip our intelligence and law enforcement to detect and prevent terror threats and will deliver rapid assistance and disaster relief to Americans in crisis.
“I thank President Trump and the US Senate for their trust in me. Together, we will ensure that the United States, once again, is a beacon of freedom, safety, and security for generations to come.”
