Friends and neighbors of Bryan and Kristi Noem expressed their shock and sadness over the recent revelations about his personal life, with some struggling to accept that the seemingly mild-mannered insurance agent was leading a secret life.
“I grew up playing ball with Bryon,” shared Kevin Rusink, a resident of Castlewood, South Dakota.
He said, “I had no idea he was involved in anything like that. I just don’t believe it.”
Rusink even speculated that a controversial image published by the Daily Mail, depicting Noem with inflated balloons resembling exaggerated fake breasts, “must have been AI-generated.”
A spokesperson for Kristi Noem mentioned that she feels “devastated” by the allegations concerning her husband’s involvement in cross-dressing and living a double life.
Though the image sparked jokes among some circles, the response from the couple’s hometown was generally more muted and compassionate.
Nancy Tarbuck commented on the public exposure of Noem’s private preferences, saying, “I’m really sorry that Mr. Bryon is facing so much attention and embarrassment.”
Tarbak, a former Democratic state senator now running a law firm, added, “He never sought public life, and I know him to be a kind, decent person. I wish he didn’t have to experience this.”
However, not everyone shared the same sentiment. Some locals felt that the former Homeland Security secretary had brought this humiliation upon himself through his position in the Trump administration.
Brad Johnson, a real estate appraiser and columnist, noted, “While Kristi’s profile soared, Bryon was seen as a supportive husband trying to keep a normal family life. This shows that the cost of power and prestige can be very high. Kristi’s actions at the Department of Homeland Security invited this kind of publicity.”
Outside Castlewood, an unidentified man at a gas station expressed disbelief over the situation as he viewed reports about Bryon Noem’s double life. “He’s really a nice person,” he remarked. “It just makes me tear up.”
In a statement, Kristi Noem expressed that she was “devastated” by the news and that her family was “stunned.”
