Kristi Noem Accused of Going 'Rogue' With Fake State Department Statement About Her Own Job Status

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a statement on X bearing State Department letterhead about her own job status that department leadership had not authorised, according to two people familiar with her work cited by Politico.

The statement, shared on X on 16 October, said Noem's role as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas had 'always' been a six-month appointment and that she remained at the department as a senior adviser.

One of Politico's sources alleged that Noem 'went rogue and created a fake letterhead'. The State Department did not respond to Politico's request for comment.

Statement Not Authorised, Sources Say

The allegation appeared on Friday 23 October 2026 in Politico's National Security Daily newsletter, in an item reported by Eric Bazail-Eimil, under the heading 'The Noem press release that wasn't.'

According to the newsletter, Noem put out the release on social media the previous week, as rumours swirled that she was being pushed out of the State Department. It carried what Politico described as a boilerplate statement saying she remained a 'senior adviser.'

Two people familiar with Noem's work at the department told Politico that the release had not been authorised by department leadership. Politico said the quote it contained had circulated in most coverage of her job change.

'This was not a press release put out by the State Department,' one of the people said. 'Noem went rogue and created a fake letterhead to post on X.'

Mediaite and other outlets picked up the report on Saturday. Mediaite described the release as unauthorised, while The Independent said it had asked the State Department to comment on its authenticity.

Third Trump Administration Post Under Scrutiny

The episode is the latest twist in a turbulent year for Noem, a former governor of South Dakota.

President Donald Trump removed her as Homeland Security secretary in March, amid scrutiny of immigration enforcement operations under her leadership, including incidents in which two US citizens were fatally shot and a five-year-old boy was detained in Minnesota, The Independent reported. Trump named then-Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her and moved Noem to the State Department as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas, a security initiative for the Western Hemisphere.

On 16 October, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to CNN that Noem's time as special envoy had ended, Dakota News Now reported. The spokesperson did not give a reason. Noem was to stay at the department as a senior adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, the outlet said, marking her third job in the administration.

The disputed statement, posted on the same day, said: 'The Special Envoy to the Shield of the Americas role was always a six-month appointment.' It added that Noem 'remains at the State Department as a Senior Advisor.'

The wording was repeated in several media reports at the time. The sources' account calls into question the statement's official status, although the reporting does not independently establish who drafted the wording or approved its publication.

The end of the envoy role had already drawn ridicule online. Social media users were questioning how Noem could be given a newly created position and lose it within months.

Lewandowski Investigation and Possible Hill Hearings

Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the DHS Inspector General had referred a probe into contract dealings involving Corey Lewandowski, Noem's former senior adviser at DHS, to the Justice Department for prosecution, Politico reported, citing the Journal.

Politico described the revelation about the statement as 'the latest cloud' over the former secretary. The reported probe concerns Lewandowski's dealings, and none of the reporting cited here suggests that Noem is a subject of it.

According to The Independent, the probe examines allegations that Lewandowski profited from his position as Noem's close adviser. His representative said: 'He denies any wrongdoing when he was proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity.' The representative added that Lewandowski had not been contacted by the Justice Department about any investigation.

Democrats have signalled they want to bring both Noem and Lewandowski before congressional committees if they win control of either chamber in next month's midterm elections, Politico reported.

In a separate item in the same newsletter, Politico said the Democrats in line to chair the House Judiciary, Oversight and Homeland Security committees, should the party win the House, had named immigration enforcement as a key priority for oversight. Noem, now described as an adviser to the State Department, is among the officials likely to face questions, alongside White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and current Homeland Security Secretary Mullin.

Politico said voters in both parties had soured on the immigration crackdown after a series of controversies, including the deaths of several American citizens following encounters with immigration officers.

Neither Noem nor the State Department responded to Politico's requests for comment on the allegation, according to the newsletter.

The midterm elections take place on Tuesday 3 November.