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In the wake of a diplomatic transition facilitated by Donald Trump, Kristi Noem finds herself facing a troubling exodus of staff. Even before some of her key team members could settle into their roles, they have been sidelined, casting a shadow over her new tenure.
Reports indicate that four officials have been placed on administrative leave at the directive of the White House. This abrupt move has left Noem’s Shield of the Americas office, where she previously served as Homeland Security chief, noticeably deserted. The Daily Mail has uncovered that Noem has also retreated from the public eye amid these developments.
The individuals affected include former deputy chief of staff Troup Hemenway, ex-deputy general counsel Giovanna Cinelli, along with junior staffers Josh King and Octavian Miller, as confirmed by sources.
Senior officials within the State Department revealed that Noem managed to conduct only a single meeting this week, opting for a virtual format. Her remaining team members are either scattered across the main State Department headquarters or are opting to work remotely, further illustrating the disarray.
With her team significantly reduced and a clear strategy yet to emerge, insiders suggest that Kristi Noem’s prospects in her current role are uncertain, casting doubt on her future within the administration.
‘This post was intended as a soft landing so it didn’t look like Noem was immediately being fired,’ a State Department source told the Daily Mail.
‘But no one really thinks she should have this job,’ the source added. ‘The State Department was not happy to have her here and the understanding is that she’s not going to be here for much longer.’
Noem was fired as Homeland Security Secretary in early March, losing her post atop the nation’s largest law enforcement agency.
But Noem’s astonishing fall from grace was still far from complete.
Sources tell us at least four officials who followed Noem from DHS were placed on administrative leave at her new office, the Daily Mail can now reveal
The Daily Mail revealed Kristi Noem’s husband Bryon Noem is a secret crossdresser who exchanges photos of himself online wearing giant fake breastsÂ
For the new State Department gig, she became the subject of mockery when photos surfaced of her in Guyana sitting next to her lover Corey Lewandowski at a table with the nation’s president and other government leaders.
Then a bigger bombshell dropped last week when the Daily Mail published photos of her crossdressing husband, Bryon, that he had sent to online fetish models.
The scandal sparked national security concerns because her husband’s activity opened her up to blackmail as head of Homeland Security.Â
The scandals that have rocked her personal life were only compounded by Noem’s spiraling political career.
Her new office was established to combat drug cartels, international criminal organizations, and migrant crime in the Western Hemisphere by coordinating with Homeland Security, the State Department, and Pentagon.
However, along with Noem’s embarrassing debut in Guyana, there were simply no clear roles or responsibilities for many of the staff brought over, sources tell the Daily Mail.
‘The thing itself is still being figured out,’ one Trump official familiar with the matter told the Daily Mail. ‘It doesn’t make sense to just have a bunch of folks not really having a substantive role.
‘The administrative leave, if anything, is an opportunity for folks to figure out what they’re doing, whether that be with the Shield of the Americas, the State Department, or wherever else, while the big picture starts to sort itself out.’
Her indignity is laid bare inside her new offices, a stripped-down operation that bears little resemblance to the sprawling agency she commanded at DHS.
Mr Noem supports his wife last month by sitting dutifully behind her at a congressional hearing scrutinizing her aggressive immigration enforcement tactics
This post was intended as a soft landing so it didn’t look like Noem was immediately being fired,’ a State Department source told the Daily Mail of the newly-created Shield of the Americas
The once highly public personality, who earned the nickname ICE Barbie for her glamorous looks, outfit changes and reality TV leadership at DHS, had her belongings packed up from headquarters.
She and her dwindled inner circle then moved into a building housing the Institute for Peace, an outfit that had plenty of spare space after being gutted by Elon Musk and his team of downsizers at DOGE.
The growing promise of a vibrant new agency, celebrated March 7 at an inaugural summit at Trump Doral Miami, is already giving way to a stark reality.
Multiple State Department and administration sources told the Daily Mail the office has struggled to get off the ground, with few staff even showing up for an operation marked by inactivity and uncertainty.
Officials in the State Department have been less than welcoming of their new colleagues, believing there is no real need for Noem’s outfit given that her marching orders could be handled by other staffers, sources say.Â
Rather than build out a functioning team, the administration appears to have paused and reassessed, leaving key hires in limbo.
A source told the Daily Mail that Noem’s personal office is smaller than her one at DHS. She’s decorated it with memorabilia from her time leading Homeland Security, including different hats she wore as secretary.
The rest of her staffers’ desks are sparsely decorated.
Noem has withdrawn from public view after photos emerged showing her husband Bryon is a cross-dresser
Facilities staff at the State Department hesitated to fully move in or discard packing materials because they believed Noem’s tenure would be short-lived, according to one official.
Another source told the Daily Mail the atmosphere surrounding the office signaled it was being ‘shrunk to nothing,’ with little expectation it would become a lasting fixture.
‘Noem’s stuff has been moved in there, but she never shows up,’ one administration official said.
‘I don’t think it’s a real thing.’
Sources told the Daily Mail that one senior aide slated to follow Noem from DHS to the State Department never made the move. Steven Munoz, her former deputy chief of staff, instead leveraged his relationships with senior White House officials to remain at Homeland Security.
Munoz is widely viewed as one of Noem’s closest and most loyal aides within the department.
The Daily Mail has contacted the State Department and Noem for comment. The White House declined to comment.