President Donald Trump responded Tuesday after a set of newly surfaced photos allegedly showed Bryon Noem, the husband of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, cross-dressing in private messages sent to several women.
According to The Daily Mail, the images were part of a larger collection of messages exchanged between Bryon Noem and three women. The material reportedly included hundreds of communications. In some of the photos, he appears to be wearing bright pink underwear along with a flesh-toned top designed to resemble exaggerated female anatomy.
The New York Post reported that the images were taken in the context of what’s described as a “bimbofication” fetish, a niche interest centered on hypersexualized and highly stylized feminine appearances. Other photos cited in reports show him posing in a tight, light blue T-shirt with prosthetic breasts, making exaggerated facial expressions.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem requested privacy and prayers after a Daily Mail exposé alleged her husband Bryon maintained a secret cross-dressing online persona, including explicit messages and photos shared with women on a fetish site.pic.twitter.com/osZVmgOb7g
— Squad Navigators (@SquadNavigators) April 1, 2026
Trump told The Daily Mail he had not been aware of the situation and seemed surprised that the Noem family had acknowledged the authenticity of the images.
“They confirmed it? Wow,” Trump said. “I feel badly for the family if that’s the case. That’s too bad. I haven’t seen anything. I don’t know anything about it.”
It remains unclear whether anyone else within the administration had prior knowledge of the images before they became public. Fox News Digital noted it was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the photos.
The controversy comes not long after Kristi Noem’s departure from her role as Homeland Security Secretary. She was removed from the position on March 5, with Senator Markwayne Mullin stepping in and being sworn in the following week. Noem has since taken on a new role as a special envoy connected to the “Shield of the Americas” initiative.
Trump shocked to hear about cross-dressing husband of Kristi Noem: ‘That’s too bad’ https://t.co/OaiaEIxQ5o pic.twitter.com/F0NfGrRhnq
— New York Post (@nypost) March 31, 2026
In a statement to The New York Post, a spokesperson for Noem said she was deeply shaken by the situation.
“The family was blindsided by this, and they ask for privacy and prayers at this time,” the spokesperson said.
Kristi and Bryon Noem have been married for more than three decades and have three children together. Their relationship has faced public scrutiny before. Reports had previously circulated about an alleged affair between Noem and her former advisor Corey Lewandowski, which some sources suggested may have played a role in her exit from DHS.
During her time as governor of South Dakota, Noem also drew criticism from LGBTQ advocacy groups. She faced a lawsuit from The Transformation Project, a transgender and gender-nonconforming organization, after the state ended a contract with the group. She also signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which critics argued could enable discrimination against LGBTQ individuals.
