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Kristi Noem knows a thing or two about scandalous rumors — some of which were of her own making. Never forget the hullabaloo surrounding her 2024 memoir “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.” In May 2024, The Dakota Scout reported that in a pre-released version of the book, Noem recounted a story wherein she claimed that she had personally met North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un and even canceled a meeting she had planned with French President Emmanuel Macron. Curiously, the local newspaper was never able to verify those claims. In the end, Noem’s spokesperson Ian Fury swiftly walked back the “No Going Back” author’s claims, telling Politico, “We’ve been made aware that the publisher will be addressing conflated world leaders’ names in the book before it is released.” Liar, liar, pants on fire? We’ll let you be the judge.
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Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning of all the gossip Noem has found herself smack dab in the middle of. From love affairs to wild stories about murdering the family pet, Noem’s reputation is swirling in scandalous rumors.
Kristi Noem’s marriage has been plagued by infidelity rumors
Trouble in paradise? Kristi Noem has been married to her husband, Bryon Noem, for 32 years. They share three children and even three grandchildren and counting! “Thank you for making me a wife, mother, grandmother, and living a life full of adventure with me!” Kristi penned to Bryon in a sentimental anniversary post in May 2024.
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Alas, it’s rumored that Kristi and Bryon’s romance isn’t exactly the stuff that fairytales are made of. American Greatness first reported about an affair between Kristi and political operative Corey Lewandowski in September 2021. “There are members of Congress close to Mar-a-Lago who have called the affair ‘an open secret’ and worried that about Noem’s viability as a national candidate and within the movement,” a source told the news and opinion website. Then, in 2023, the rumors reared their ugly head again when the New York Post reported that a source came forward claiming that they had witnessed the pair very openly canoodling in a hotel lobby bar during the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida. “I remember it was so absurdly blatant and public,” the source said. “It wasn’t like 2 a.m. It isn’t like we caught them at some dive bar miles away. It’s a lobby bar where everyone is staying and so there’s a bajillion political operatives and journalists and electeds around.” Kristi, however, vehemently refuted the claims in a now-deleted tweet, referring to them as “total garbage and a disgusting lie,” (via Daily Mail).
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Unfortunately for Kristi, the Corey Lewandowski affair rumors heated up again in 2025 following the release of Alex Isenstadt’s book “Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power.” In the confines of the book, Isenstadt claimed that the affair was still ongoing in July 2024 during the Republican National Convention and that even Donald Trump himself was cognizant of their extramarital relationship.
Did she or didn’t she?
New face, who dis? No doubt, the most rampant rumors flying around Kristi Noem stem from her ever-evolving physical appearance. While there is some cosmetic work Noem has confirmed — cosmetic dentistry — she’s remained rather tight-lipped (no pun intended) about all of the other stuff she’s accused of going under the knife for.
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Long before she became the governor of South Dakota and President Donald J. Trump’s secretary of Homeland Security, she was pretty much just your average working wife and mom — with an average face to match. But don’t just take our word for it. As evidenced in a side-by-side photo by one X user, Noem’s face has undergone quite the transformation from 2019 to 2025. One plastic surgeon told us here at Nicki Swift that he believed Noem paid a hefty price tag for her rumored face makeover. While Dr. Michael Niccole has not treated Noem, he estimated that she has forked out at least $25,000 for her new look. Wowza.
Is Kristi Noem guilty of cosplaying an ICE agent?
Is Kristi Noem an ICE agent, or does she just play one on TV? Since taking on her new position in President Donald Trump’s cabinet, many have accused her of cosplaying as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Welcome to Noem’s ICE Barbie era.
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In March, the secretary of Homeland Security raised many eyebrows when she posed in front of prisoners at the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador and warned immigrants not to come to the United States illegally. “If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face,” she declared (00:17). “You will be removed, and you will be prosecuted, but know that this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use if you commit crimes against the American people,” she said. Ironically, Noem did it all while sporting a $50,000 Rolex watch on her arm because, obviously, every ICE agent’s salary can afford them one of those. Duh.
Alas, on April 8, Noem kicked it up a notch when she posted a video of herself inadvertently pointing what many suspected was a loaded rifle at a law enforcement officer. “Spent the morning in Phoenix with our brave @ICEgov and Arizona law enforcement arresting these dirtbags and getting them off of our streets,” she proudly tweeted along with the controversial video. As one can imagine, many immediately flocked to the comments section to school Noem on gun safety. Even Housewife wrangler Andy Cohen fled to the comments to flex his shady side. “Please be careful with that gun,” he pleaded.
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Kristi Noem claims Nikki Haley threatened her
Did Nikki Haley really threaten Kristi Noem? In the confines of her 2024 book, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” Noem claimed that the then-U.N. ambassador threatened her on a phone call. “It was clear that she wanted me to know that there was only room for one Republican woman in the spotlight,” Noem penned about the incident.
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Haley’s spokesperson, however, vehemently denied Noem’s claim. “Nikki has long called and written notes supporting other women when they go through challenging times,” Chaney Denton told Politico. “She called Governor Noem in 2020 to encourage her when she was criticized for keeping her state open during Covid. How she would twist that into a threat is just plain weird.”
As for Noem, she didn’t back down. “That story is absolutely true,” Noem declared during an interview on “CBS Mornings.” She added, “I did feel threatened after that phone call very much. It was clear she was the Lone Wolf and that there wasn’t room for another Republican woman in politics.” As the old saying goes, there are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth.
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Kristi Noem killed her dog — execution style
Kristi Noem killed her dog. No, really. This one is NOT a rumor. In the confines of her 2024 book, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” Noem confessed to murdering the Noem family dog, Cricket, after he was found to be aggressive on multiple occasions. Though Noem referred to Cricket as “the picture of pure joy,” she also revealed that she “hated that dog,” noting that the canine was “untrainable,” “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with,” and “less than worthless … as a hunting dog” (via The Guardian). According to Noem, while putting the dog down “was not a pleasant job,” it was one that “had to be done.”
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As one can imagine, the public had a field day over Noem’s pet-killing confession. When pressed about the confession further during an interview on Fox Business, it was obvious the then-governor of South Dakota had all she could stand on the topic. “Enough,” she admonished the host and interviewer Stuart Varney. “This interview is ridiculous. What you are doing right now?” she seethed. “Let’s talk about some real topics that Americans care about,” she added at which point Varney promptly noted they were out of time. And, scene!
