Trump Replaces Homeland Security Secretary

by SDMN

Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem amid mounting scrutiny,
​and named Sen. Markwayne Mullin as her replacement.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was firing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and naming Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her, marking a sudden leadership change at one of the federal government’s largest security agencies. Trump made the announcement on social media, thanking Noem for her service and highlighting what he described as major results during her tenure, particularly on border issues.

Rather than leaving government entirely, Noem will move into a new role as Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a security initiative focused on cooperation across the Western Hemisphere. Noem learned of the decision as she arrived at an event in Nashville, Tennessee. Trump called her directly to inform her of the move.

Shortly after the announcement, she publicly thanked the president and said the new role would allow her to continue building on partnerships and national security work developed during her 13 months leading the Department of Homeland Security.

Her departure follows a period of growing scrutiny over her leadership. Questions had surfaced about her conduct in office, including an alleged romantic relationship with her chief adviser, Corey Lewandowski, and concerns surrounding how the department distributed a large infusion of funding. A major advertising campaign run by the department also drew attention because it prominently featured Noem. Tensions escalated after two congressional hearings in which senators from both parties pressed the secretary about the campaign and its contracting process. During one exchange, Noem said the president had been aware of the advertising effort. Trump later said he had no knowledge of it.

Other controversies also weighed on her position. Officials questioned decisions inside the department, including a brief pause of the TSA PreCheck program during a funding lapse that was reversed within hours. Fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis also intensified scrutiny of the agency’s leadership and prompted the White House to send border adviser Tom Homan to the city to address the situation. Frustration with Noem’s leadership had also been building within the department and among some Republican allies on Capitol Hill, leaving her position increasingly uncertain in recent weeks.
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Trump chose Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma and a close ally, to take over the department. The president plans for Mullin to assume the role on March 31. The White House said it will work to secure his confirmation as quickly as possible. Mullin, elected to the Senate in 2022 after five terms in the House of Representatives, has played an active role in negotiations within his party and helped secure support for the president’s tax legislation. As chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the legislative branch, he has also focused on improving security for lawmakers. His nomination now moves to the Senate, where confirmation proceedings are expected to begin soon. ​