Kristi Noem seems with Trump in new ‘Shield of the Americas’ position – days after he fired her from DHS

Days after Donald Trump publicly humiliated Kristi Noem by firing her as Homeland Security secretary, she appeared alongside the president at a summit in Miami, Florida, where she repeatedly praised his leadership.

The event at Trump’s National Doral Golf Club was dubbed the “Shield of the Americas” summit and saw the president encourage gathered leaders from Latin American nations to take military action against drug trafficking cartels and transnational gangs that he says pose an “unacceptable threat” to the hemisphere’s national security.

Noem was in attendance in her new role as special envoy to the initiative. She was fired Thursday from the top job at DHS, making her the first Cabinet official to be outside in Trump’s second term.

Also present at the Miami event was Corey Lewandowski, Noem’s adviser at the department, who has also left his role. The pair have been dogged by allegations of an inappropriate relationship. At a congressional hearing earlier this week, Noem refused to answer directly when she was asked about the alleged affair by a lawmaker. Lewandowski posted a picture of Trump and other world leaders to his X account.

In her first remarks in her newly-formed role, Noem repeatedly expressed her gratitude and admiration for Trump.

“First of all, I offer thanks to our president who had the vision to bring all of you as world leaders here,” Noem said. She also thanked Trump “for giving me the honor and the opportunity to serve as a special envoy to this region.”

“This is intended to be a group that works together to make sure that we’re each defending our own sovereignty, we’re each defending our own security and economic prosperity,” she continued. “This Shield of [the] Americas will be a powerful example to the rest of the world about what’s possible.”

Noem went on to list her accomplishments at DHS — from securing the southern border to deporting or removing more than three million people migrants from the U.S. — adding that she now hopes to use that experience to help other nations strengthen their own borders.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, seated alongside Noem, also addressed the audience, stating that the former South Dakota governor would be deeply involved in the Shield of the Americas.

“You will see a lot of her,” Rubio said. “She’ll be very involved with each of you at a personal level.”

Earlier in the day, Trump delivered a speech to the leaders, and issued a fresh warning to Cuba. The president said he is “looking forward to the great change that will soon be coming to Cuba,” adding that the Caribbean nation is in its “last moments of life.”

Trump also signed a proclamation affirming his commitment to dismantling terrorist organizations and cartels that operate in the Western Hemisphere at the event. Seventeen nations endorsed the effort through a joint security declaration signed on Thursday.

Noem’s appointment as special envoy follows a turbulent 13-month tenure at DHS marked by a string of controversies.

She drew pushback over her handling of Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, which led to the deaths of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, whom she described as domestic terrorists. She has refused to walk back or apologize for the comments.

Noem also raised eyebrows with her purchase of multiple luxury jets, a $220 million ad campaign, gutting FEMA, and her rumored affair with Lewandowski.

The final nail in the coffin appears to have been Noem’s congressional testimony this past week, during which Democrats and Republicans alike voiced sharp criticism of her management and judgment.

At one point, Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, embarked on a lengthy tirade against Noem, comparing her missteps to her shocking anecdote about killing her own puppy.

One day after her second hearing, Trump fired off a 233-word Truth Social post, stating that Noem was out at DHS — and that he was nominating Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her.

An administration official told NBC News that the president axed Noem due to “a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures, including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE.”

“Kristi’s drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration’s extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force,” the official added.

Before she was fired, Noem vigorously defended her performance while fielding questions from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, maintaining she was faithfully executing Trump’s agenda and operating by the book.

When asked by a Democratic representative whether she was having an affair with Lewandowski, she responded: “I am shocked we are going down and peddling tabloid garbage today at this committee.”

She also insisted that the controversial $220 million DHS ad campaign had been launched with the president’s approval — a claim Trump has denied.

In a recently resurfaced interview from February 2025, Noem provides further details on the costly ad blitz, which featured her riding on horseback in front of Mount Rushmore, claiming it was Trump’s idea. Noem said the president told her: “I want you to do those [ads] for the border. I want you to do those everywhere, not just in the United States, but I want them around the world.”

“And I said ‘well sir, do you want to be in those ads?’” Noem said. “He said ‘nope, nope. I want you to do them.’”

Since her departure from DHS, Noem has not publicly pushed back against the administration. But, an unnamed official told The Daily Caller that she felt “thrown under the bus.”

With reporting from the Associated Press

Source: independent.co.uk