Fox News host Laura Ingraham criticized South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds after he expressed concerns about President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees. Ingraham mistakenly referred to Rounds as a senator from North Dakota, mirroring an error in a Politico article. She quoted the piece, which stated Rounds emphasized the Senate’s independence, noting, “there are still three branches of the U.S. government.”

The focus shifted to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security. Known for her alignment with Trump’s immigration policies, Noem has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Under Noem’s leadership, South Dakota became the first state to send National Guard troops to the border in 2021, with additional deployments following. She has consistently advocated for stronger border security and measures to combat cartel activity, emphasizing, “South Dakota doesn’t complain – we fix things.”

This nomination highlights Noem’s firm stance on immigration and her efforts to address national security concerns at the border.