Kristi Noem, South Dakota's firebrand Republican governor, faced questioning Friday at her confirmation hearing to be secretary of homeland security. Noem, the daughter of a farmer and a former representative from South Dakota, is being questioned before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Noem repeated a falsehood that Trump shared during the 2024 presidential campaign. There are not more than 13,000 murderers or nearly 16,000 sex offenders "loose" in the U.S. Her statement is based on a misinterpreted letter sent by ICE in late 2024.