Kristi Noem Grilled on Terrorism, Cybersecurity at US Senate Hearing
(Bloomberg) -- Kristi Noem, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be Homeland Security secretary, on Friday described what she saw as flaws with the government’s cybersecurity agency and indicated the incoming administration would shrink it.
Most Read from Bloomberg
NYC Commuters Get New Way to Dodge Traffic: $95 Helicopter Rides
Scaramucci, Ackman Donate to Whitney Tilson’s NYC Mayoral Run
The Cybesecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Noem said, has “gotten far off mission, using their resources in ways that were never intended” by playing a leading role in public awareness of misinformation and disinformation in the recent elections.
Noem, the South Dakota governor, suggested a narrower role for the agency in the incoming administration, saying CISA needed to be “much more effective, smaller and more nimble.”
The focus, she added, should be “to hunt and help harden our nation’s critical infrastructure” against cyber attacks.
CISA has long been a target for Trump and his allies, who allege that it’s worked to censor speech online when disinformation goes viral. During his first term, Trump fired former CISA Director Chris Krebs via tweet after Krebs vouched for the security of the 2020 election.
Noem, a staunch Trump ally whom detractors have said doesn’t have the right experience for the job, received a generally positive reception from the committee.
South Dakota’s two Republican senators — Majority Leader John Thune and Kevin Cramer gave introductory remarks, praising the governor as “tough” and a “protector.”
If she secures the role, the South Dakota governor will work with border czar Tom Homan, the former acting head of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, to oversee Trump’s pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
In Noem’s introductory remarks, she focused on keeping border security as a top priority in the organization, while strengthening the capabilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which falls under the sprawling Homeland Security umbrella, and ensuring life-saving services are quickly restored.
Noem pledged to shut down the CBP One app, an online point for migrants to make an appointment to apply for asylum and legal border crossings.
She also said she would bolster security at both the northern and southern US borders, while lambasting President Joe Biden’s border policies as dangerous for the country.
--With assistance from Alicia A. Caldwell.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
Walgreens Replaced Fridge Doors With Smart Screens. It’s Now a $200 Million Fiasco
Giant Batteries Are Transforming the World’s Electrical Grids
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.