Kristi Noem’s ‘official statement’ on X wasn’t approved by officials, sources say

Rebecca Blackwell/Pool/AFP/Getty Images/File

A little over a week ago, an “official statement,” appearing to be printed on State Department letterhead with its seal, was posted on Kristi Noem’s official special envoy X account and her own personal X account about the end of her tenure as an envoy to the Shield of Americas.

Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the letterhead was not real, and it was not an official statement on behalf of the Department. They said nobody on the seventh floor – where the State Department leadership sits – or in the press office saw the memo before it was posted on X.

It is unclear if the Department will take any action against Noem, who is now serving as a senior adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau. However, one source told CNN that people “are not pleased she tried to pass off a fake statement.” Though both said the substance of the statement beneath the letterhead was accurate, they were objecting to the format and the fact it appeared to be an official department communication when it had not been authorized by leadership or the press office.

One of the sources noted that only the State Department press office puts out official statements.

The content of the statement beneath the letterhead was consistent with what State Department officials said at the time about her change of job.

“The Special Envoy to the Shield of the Americas role was always a six-month appointment,” it read. “Secretary Noem remains at the State Department as a Senior Advisor.”

CNN has asked a representative for Noem who drafted the statement and whether it was authorized. CNN also asked the State Department for comment on the allegations.

On Saturday, seemingly in response to the reports of the unauthorized statement, Noem posted on her personal X account , “You may have read some ‘Fake News’ lately, but I am honored and grateful to continue advancing President Trump’s America First agenda and working to strengthen security and cooperation across the Western Hemisphere.”

“There is important work to be done, and I remain committed to getting it done!” she wrote.

Noem, who previously served as Homeland Security Secretary, quietly moved into the senior adviser role after her special envoy status expired last month. A State Department official told CNN at the time that she “continues to work on the Shield of the Americas portfolio.” The Shield of the Americas is a coalition started by the Trump administration meant to jointly combat security issues and drug cartels in Central and South America.

At a meeting of the Shield of the Americas leaders at the UN General Assembly last month, Noem was present and mingling with the leaders in the room. President Donald Trump praised the work she was doing with the coalition.

Trump removed Noem from his Cabinet earlier this year after multiple controversies under her leadership at the Department of Homeland Security.

According to multiple people familiar, Justice Department prosecutors are now investigating allegations of contract misconduct at the Department of Homeland Security, including the role of Corey Lewandowski – Noem’s de facto chief of staff.

CNN has reported that Noem’s handling of contracts within DHS was one of the main issues behind her ouster, notably when she claimed that Trump knew of a $220 million ad campaign prominently featuring the secretary.

Rebecca Blackwell/Pool/AFP/Getty Images/文件

大约一周前，克里斯蒂·诺姆的官方特使 X 账户和她自己的个人 X 账户上发布了一份“官方声明”，该声明似乎是用国务院的信笺纸打印的，并带有国务院的印章，内容是关于她作为“美洲之盾”特使任期的结束。

两名知情人士告诉CNN，信头并非真实存在，也并非国务院的官方声明。他们表示，国务院领导层所在的七楼以及新闻办公室的任何人，在备忘录发布到X网站之前，都没有人看过这份备忘录。

目前尚不清楚国务院是否会对现任副国务卿克里斯·兰道高级顾问的诺姆采取任何行动。不过，一位消息人士告诉CNN，人们对她试图发布虚假声明的行为“感到不满”。尽管两人都表示信笺抬头下的声明内容属实，但他们反对的是声明的格式，以及它看起来像是国务院的官方文件，而实际上并未获得领导层或新闻办公室的授权。

其中一位消息人士指出，只有国务院新闻办公室才会发布官方声明。

信笺抬头下方的声明内容与国务院官员当时就她工作变动所作的说法一致。

声明中写道：“美洲之盾特使一职的任期始终为六个月。诺姆国务卿将继续留在国务院担任高级顾问。”

CNN已向诺姆的代表询问声明的起草人是谁以及是否获得授权。CNN还就这些指控向国务院寻求置评。

周六，似乎是为了回应有关未经授权发表声明的报道，诺姆在她的个人 X 账户上发帖称：“你们最近可能读到了一些‘假新闻’，但我很荣幸也很感激能够继续推进特朗普总统的‘美国优先’议程，并致力于加强整个西半球的安全与合作。”

她写道：“还有重要的工作要做，我会继续努力完成这项工作！”

诺姆此前曾担任国土安全部长，上个月特使身份到期后，她悄然转任高级顾问。当时一位国务院官员告诉CNN，她“将继续负责‘美洲之盾’项目”。“美洲之盾”是由特朗普政府发起的一项联盟计划，旨在共同打击中南美洲的安全问题和贩毒集团。

上个月在联合国大会期间举行的“美洲之盾”领导人会议上，诺姆出席了会议，并与与会领导人进行了交流。唐纳德·特朗普总统赞扬了她为该联盟所做的工作。

今年早些时候，由于诺姆在国土安全部担任领导期间发生多起争议事件，特朗普将她从内阁中除名。

据多位知情人士透露，司法部检察官目前正在调查国土安全部涉嫌合同不当行为的指控，其中包括科里·莱万多夫斯基（诺姆的实际幕僚长）的角色。

CNN报道称，诺姆对国土安全部合同的处理方式是她被解职的主要原因之一，尤其是她声称特朗普知道一项耗资2.2亿美元的广告宣传活动，该活动以她本人为主要宣传对象。