AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly went “rogue,” creating an unauthorized State Department press release to announce a new role as a senior adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
President Donald Trump announced in March that Noem was “moving” to a new position as “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” replacing her with then-Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
Her departure came the same week she faced intense scrutiny from Republicans and Democrats alike during congressional hearings, with lawmakers grilling her over fatal ICE shootings, her alleged affair with top adviser Corey Lewandowski, delays in FEMA disaster relief, potentially improperly awarded government contracts, and even her admission that she shot and killed her dog.
Last Friday, Noem posted an official-looking State Department press release, reading, “The Special Envoy to the Shield of the Americas role was always a six-month appointment. Secretary Noem remains at the State Department as a Senior Advisor.”
But according to reporting from Eric Bazail-Eimil at Politico this Friday, citing two people familiar with Noem’s role at the State Department, the former secretary’s post was never authorized.
“This was not a press release put out by the State Department,” one of his sources revealed. “Noem went rogue and created a fake letterhead to post on X.”
Neither Noem nor the State Department returned Bazail-Eimil’s requests for comment.
Interestingly, though, CBS News quoted a State Department official who told the outlet last Thursday about the shake-up — one day before Noem’s social media post.
That part of the CBS report, which was first published Oct. 15 and updated Oct. 16 — seemingly to add Noem’s shared press release — reads:
“Kristi Noem’s envoy status expired last month and she is no longer in the role,” a State Department official told CBS News Thursday. “She is now a senior advisor to Deputy Secretary Landau and continues to work on the Shield of the Americas portfolio.”
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The post Kristi Noem Reportedly Went ‘Rogue’ With Unauthorized State Department Press Release first appeared on Mediaite.
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