Kristi Noem Hosted Secret Service For Thanksgiving. Kassidy Noem Peters told Vanity Fair that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cooked a full Thanksgiving meal for family and members of her Secret Service detail. The interview also touches on Noem’s political rise—from state legislator’s daughter to governor and now DHS chief—and ongoing reports about an alleged relationship with adviser Corey Lewandowski, which DHS dismissed. Former officials cited internal frustration at DHS, though former President Trump publicly defended Noem.
Kristi Noem Hosted Secret Service At Family Thanksgiving, Daughter Says
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spent Thanksgiving this year hosting family members and members of her security detail, her daughter, Kassidy Noem Peters, told Vanity Fair.
“On Thanksgiving, me and my sister and my mom spent most of the day cooking,” Kassidy, 31, said. “What was really cool about this year is she had all of her Secret Service [with her] and so we cooked a meal to get enough food for them to have Thanksgiving with us. I don’t think that many politicians would have done that. She wanted to make it special for them.”
The family gathered around a traditional holiday table that, according to Kassidy, included turkey, roast beef, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, bread, cranberry dip and carrot cake. Noem, 54, and her husband, Bryon, have been married for more than three decades and are parents to three children: Kassidy, Kennedy and Booker.
Kassidy also reflected on growing up in a politically active household. She was eight when Noem won her first state legislative seat and 12 when Noem was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives. The family frequently traveled to Washington, D.C., while Noem served in Congress and later as governor of South Dakota.
“We went out to DC with her a lot—four or five times a year,” Kassidy told Vanity Fair. “I don’t know that many kids [who] got that kind of experience, kids of congressional members at the time.”
Noem became governor in 2019 and was tapped earlier this year by former President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Alongside these family anecdotes, Kassidy’s comments arrive amid persistent reports in Washington about an alleged personal relationship between Noem and Corey Lewandowski, a lobbyist and political operative who serves as a senior adviser at DHS.
A DHS spokesperson dismissed a New York Magazine story about the alleged relationship as a “hit piece” and called its characterization defamatory. Separately, three former DHS officials told The Bulwark that some of the administration’s aides have grown frustrated with Lewandowski’s influence inside the department; one former official warned bluntly that morale and operations were strained.
Despite the speculation and reported internal tensions, former President Trump publicly voiced support for Noem. “I read a story recently that I’m unhappy with Kristi,” he told reporters. “I’m so happy with her... We have a border that’s the best border in the history of our country. Why would I be unhappy? She’s fantastic, actually.”
Bottom Line
Kassidy Noem Peters’ remarks highlight both a family-focused Thanksgiving that included the secretary’s security team and ongoing political controversies surrounding Noem’s role at DHS. The article combines personal recollections with reporting on workplace tensions and public defenses from senior figures.
