BREAKING: Trump Ousts Kristi Noem as DHS Chief
Trump ousts Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary, naming Sen. Markwayne Mullin as her successor. Noem moves to a "Special Envoy" role amid bipartisan backlash.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is replacing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, marking the first high-profile Cabinet departure of his second term. The President has tapped U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to lead the department, effective March 31, 2026.
The move follows a week of intense scrutiny on Capitol Hill and mounting bipartisan criticism regarding Noem’s management of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and her handling of controversial immigration enforcement tactics.
The Downfall: Hearings and Scandals
The decision to remove Noem reportedly solidified following her testimony before the Senate and House Judiciary Committees earlier this week. Key factors cited by sources and recent reports include:
* The $220 Million "Self-Promotion" Ad Blitz Noem was grilled by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) over a massive taxpayer-funded ad campaign that prominently featured her face. Trump was reportedly "furious" after Noem suggested under oath that the President had personally signed off on the contracts, a claim the White House has denied.
* The Minneapolis Tragedy: Noem faced blistering criticism for her response to the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis. Her initial branding of the victims as "domestic terrorists" was undercut by video evidence, fueling calls for her resignation from both sides of the aisle.
* DHS Shutdown & Internal Chaos: The leadership change occurs amidst a 19-day DHS funding shutdown and reports from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) claiming that investigators were "misled" and blocked from pursuing ten separate investigations under her tenure.
Mullin Steps In, Noem Shifts to "Special Envoy"
In a Truth Social post, Trump praised Senator Mullin as a "MAGA Warrior" and a "former undefeated professional MMA fighter," stating he will be a "spectacular Secretary" focused on stopping "migrant crime."
Despite the firing, Noem will remain in the administration in a new capacity. She has been named Special Envoy for "The Shield of the Americas," a new security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere. The President is expected to formally launch this initiative on Saturday in Doral, Florida.