Questions swirling around the personal life of Kristi Noem have drawn a reaction from Donald Trump, who says he has little knowledge of the situation but expressed sympathy for her family.
Speaking by phone with the Daily Mail, Trump reacted to claims involving Noem’s husband, Bryon Noem.
“They confirmed it?” Trump, 79, said. “Wow, well, I feel badly for the family if that’s the case, that’s too bad.”
“I haven’t seen anything,” he added. “I don’t know anything about it. That’s too bad, but I just know nothing about it.”
The controversy stems from a report published Tuesday that alleges Bryon, 56, participated in online fetish forums, including sharing messages and photos.
According to the report, some of the images allegedly show him in provocative attire, while messages attributed to him include explicit praise of models in those communities.
The outlet also reported that Bryon spent significant sums interacting with individuals in what was described as the “bimbofication scene,” a niche online subculture.
Noem and her husband have been married since 1992 and share three children.
In a statement to the New York Post, a representative for Noem said, “Ms. Noem is devastated. The family was blindsided by this, and they ask for privacy and prayers at the time.”
The allegations surfaced not long after Noem departed from the Department of Homeland Security. She was dismissed following contentious congressional hearings that focused heavily on immigration enforcement policies carried out during her tenure.
Those hearings included scrutiny over incidents tied to enforcement actions, as well as questions about a costly ad campaign encouraging undocumented immigrants to leave the country.
Noem also faced questions about her relationship with longtime political adviser Corey Lewandowski.
Both have strongly denied rumors of an affair, including after a February report by The Wall Street Journal that detailed an unrelated controversy involving a U.S. Coast Guard pilot.
Additional reporting from The New York Times previously revealed plans within DHS to acquire private jets for official use, adding to the scrutiny surrounding Noem’s leadership in her final months at the agency.
As the latest claims circulate, Trump has largely kept his distance, emphasizing that he has not personally reviewed the allegations while acknowledging the potential impact on those involved.
