As ex-Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem’s personal life is under scrutiny, new reports about her relationship with husband Bryon and his family have emerged. This comes a day after the former South Dakota governor was fired from her DHS role, as rumors about her affair with top aide Corey Lewandowski reached a House hearing.
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he has picked Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace Noem as DHS Secretary. The appointment would require Senate confirmation. The 54-year-old was grilled during congressional hearings this week, with Rep Sydney Kamlager-Dove point-blank asking her whether she had a sexual relationship with Lewandowski, who is also married. Noem dismissed the line of questioning, calling it ‘tabloid garbage’.
Read More: Kristi Noem affair row: Shocking reason husband Bryon is not filing for divorce despite humiliation
Kristi Noem has also been accused of spending a whopping $220 million on an advertising campaign that featured her. It is unclear if Trump cleared the expenditure.
Kristi Noem despises husband’s family
A family source told The New York Post that Byron, who was at the hearing with his wife, felt ‘humiliated’. However, the South Dakota businessman is not considering filing for a divorce.
A relative told the publication that tensions between the fired DHS chief and her husband’s family have simmered for years.
Read More: Will Corey Lewandowski leave DHS with Kristi Noem? What Markwayne Mullin’s team might look like
“She despises the Noem family,” a relative said.
Speaking about Byron being with Kristi during the hearing, the source added, “I actually liked that he sat behind her while she was grilled on the ICE atrocities. I think he’s ignored the reality. Maybe he has to face it now.”
The couple first met during their teenage years and began dating while Kristi was a junior at Hamlin High School in Hayti, South Dakota. At the time, Bryon was already attending Northern State University as a freshman.
They married in 1992 and went on to spend more than three decades together, raising three children along the way. In the early years of their marriage, Kristi and Bryon worked together on the family farm. Their careers eventually diverged when Bryon transitioned into the insurance industry in 2003.
Kristi soon entered public life as well, launching her political career in 2006 when she won a seat in the South Dakota House of Representatives. Her political trajectory later led to her election as governor of South Dakota in 2018.