Trump Appointee Kristi Noem's Estate Tax Deception

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Kristi Noem, the former head of the Department of Homeland Security who labeled peaceful protesters as 'domestic terrorists,' has a history of twisting the truth to serve the powerful. In 2017, Noem claimed her family was devastated by the 'death tax' after her father's death, but an investigation found her family actually cashed millions in government farm subsidies during that time period. Noem played a key role in gutting the estate tax, which primarily affects the ultra-wealthy, while portraying herself as a victim.

Why it matters

Noem's false narrative about the estate tax highlights her willingness to mislead the public to advance a political agenda that benefits the wealthy and powerful at the expense of average citizens. As she takes on new roles in the Trump administration, her history of deception raises concerns about her credibility and commitment to serving the public interest.

The details

In 2017, Noem claimed that after her father's death, her family 'got a bill in the mail from the IRS that said we owed them money' due to the estate tax, forcing them to 'sell land that had been in our family for generations' or 'take out a loan' that took 10 years to pay off. However, an investigation found several issues with Noem's account: the estate tax has a 100% exemption for spouses, Noem's mother was still alive at the time, and the family's Racota Valley Ranch in South Dakota received $4.9 million in government farm subsidies between 1995 and 2024.

• In 2017, Noem repeated her estate tax story in a House floor speech and a Fox News op-ed.
• In December 2017, Noem was appointed to the joint committee working to reconcile the 2017 Trump tax bill, which included a proposal to eliminate the federal estate tax.