The Cosmetic Work Trump Pal Kristi Noem Has Confirmed

Dog-killing South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has gotten candid about her rumored cosmetic surgery exactly once in her political career. Oddly enough, it was for a promotional video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Noem — Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Homeland Security under his second administration — spent the nearly five-minute video highlighting the cosmetic dentistry clinic Smile Texas. (Never mind the fact that Texas is hundreds upon hundreds of miles from her home state of South Dakota). Noem credited Smile Texas for giving her a smile she could finally be happy with.

In the video, Noem goes on to share that a biking accident years back left her with no front teeth. This was her motivation to seek cosmetic surgery. "The team here was remarkable and finally gave me a smile that I can be proud of and confident in, and that really is a gift that I think is going to be incredibly special to have," Noem said. But why Texas? She claims that, after doing her research, Smile Texas appeared to be the best in the biz. (You can't help but wonder if that means they offered the best discount in exchange for some lengthy promo.)

Governor of South Dakota Kristi Noem's enthusiastic endorsement raised eyebrows for a couple of reasons. Namely, its promotional tone in the middle of an election cycle and the bizarre location choice of her cosmetic dentist relative to her home state. As a sitting governor, her decision to film an infomercial-style video for an out-of-state business understandably earned Noem heaps of scrutiny. Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that neither her spokespersons nor Smile Texas responded to AP News' questions about whether the dental work was free in exchange for the endorsement ... or why Noem bypassed providers in South Dakota.

Nevertheless, the governor expressed her deepest gratitude to the cosmetic surgery clinic. The whole thing is in line with the art of the grift many MAGA Republicans have leaned into in recent years, recalling the way Donald Trump peddled a sneaker line and trading cards during his run-up to the 2024 election. As someone who was once considered a front-runner for Trump's vice president pick before JD Vance got the job, it's undoubtedly quite Trumpian to see Noem stump for some random dentist's office on the opposite end of the country. (For the record, Noem was later sued for the video by a consumer advocacy group for "advertis[ing] a product or service without disclosing that she has a financial relationship with that company," per The Guardian).