Did Kristi Noem use fake State Department letterhead after losing Trump’s envoy role? What reports reveal

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is once again under scrutiny after reports alleged that she posted a statement fabricating the State Department letterhead to explain her exit from a significant diplomatic role in President Donald Trump’s administration.

The controversy centres on a statement shared by Noem on X on October 16, saying her appointment as special envoy for the Shield of the Americans was always intended to last six months and that she stayed at the State Department as a senior adviser. However, people familiar with her role reported to Politico that her department had not authorized the release.

What did Kristi Noem’s disputed statement say?

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

According to Politico, one person familiar with the situation rejected the document’s official status, saying: “This was not a press release put out by the State Department. Noem went rogue and created a fake letterhead to post on X.”

CBS News correspondent Olivia Gazis also reported that a State Department official confirmed the statement, posted on Noem’s official envoy account and personal X account, used fabricated department letterhead and was not an official press release. Noem and the State Department had not responded to Politico’s requests for comment, according to subsequent reports.

Why did Noem leave the special envoy position?

The controversy comes after a transition in Noem’s responsibilities post her removal as Homeland Security secretary in March. Later, Trump appointed her special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a US-led initiative focused on cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean countries on regional security and other issues.

A State Department official reported to CBS News that Noem’s envoy status “expired last month” and that she was no longer in the position. They mentioned that she is now a senior advisor to Deputy Secretary Landau and continues to work on the Shield of the American portfolio.

The department’s account hence confirmed both the end of Noem’s envoy appointment and her continued involvement in the initiative, while the dispute revolves around whether the statement she posted was authorized to speak on the department’s behalf.

The allegations raise questions about how the statement was prepared and why it was presented with State Department branding. However, the available reporting does not establish who created the letterhead or whether the department will take any further action. The claim that she personally fabricated the letterhead remains an allegation.