Kristi Noem’s travel bills as South Dakota governor raise eyebrows, Internet asks ‘did DOGE approve it?’

WASHINGTON, DC: Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem spent an enormous amount of more that $640,000 in travel expenses as the former governor for the state of South Dakota, Raw Story reported on Saturday, March 29.

The amount was paid using state funds instead of Noem's personal or campaign funds, as per the publication, which shocked and disappointed even members of the Republican Party.

Former GOP governor of South Dakota, Dennis Daugaard observed that Noem's lavish spending "offends a lot of people," while State GOP Senator Taffy Howard agreed and added, "It seems like an incredible amount of money."

Kristi Noem's extravagant travel expenses as South Dakota governor

Kristi Noem was the governor of South Dakota for six years, during which her travel expenses were reportedly met with taxpayer dollars. Most of the costs covered the state-provided security that accompanied her, irrespective of the reason for her travel.

The South Dakota Governor's office incurred more than $640,000 in travel-related costs, which included $7,555 in airfare for Noem's six-day trip to Paris, where she gave a speech at a right-wing gathering. Other expenses included Noem's bear hunt in Canada with her niece, a book tour with a stop in New York, as well as a $2,200 trip to Houston for dental work in 2024.

When asked about the revelation, a spokesperson for Noem defended her, saying, "Unfortunately, bad guys tend to make threats against high-profile public officials. When it was a political or personal trip, she paid for her own travel out of her political or personal funds."

However, they admitted that some of Noem's travel "lacked an apparent connection to state business".

Noem was a strong contender to become Donald Trump's running mate for the 2024 election. However, her odds dimmed after she revealed in her memoir 'No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward', that she shot and killed her farm dog, Cricket. She was brutally mocked and criticized after this disclosure.

Internet slams Kristi Noem over her travel bills

Netizens slammed Kristi Noem for the using taxpayers' money to cover her personal travel expenses. The following tweets demonstrate their takes.

"Using our money. Did Doge approve it?" wrote a user.

"Shouldn’t Elon be putting a stop to this waste?" asked another.

"Where’s DOGE when you need them," fumed one.

"What is she accomplishing, other than photo ops?" a user asked.

"So much for government efficiency, eh?" said another sarcastically.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.