President Donald Trump has removed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from her position and named Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin as the next DHS secretary. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026."
"The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida. I thank Kristi for her service at “Homeland,"" he continued.
Noem's firing came amid growing controversy surrounding her time at DHS in recent months. The former South Dakota governor faced scrutiny over her relationship with senior DHS advisor Corey Lewandowski, response to the ICE agent involved in the fatal shooting of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and lavish spending of taxpayer dollars.
Most recently, Noem was scrutinized over a costly Department of Homeland Security advertising campaign and a tense Senate hearing.
Also read:What's Next For Kristi Noem? Trump Appoints Ex-DHS Secretary As Next Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas
Hours before Trump's announcement, reports surfaced that he had begun asking aides and congressional Republicans for names of potential replacements for Noem. The development comes amid bipartisan scrutiny of a government-funded ad campaign and her recent testimony before lawmakers.
During a Senate hearing on March 4, Noem faced questions about a border security advertising campaign that cost around $200 million and prominently featured her. The ads included scenes such as Noem on horseback at Mount Rushmore in her home state of South Dakota.
During the hearing, Republican Senator John Kennedy pressed Noem about whether Trump had approved the campaign beforehand. When asked if the president knew about the spending, Noem responded affirmatively multiple times.
Read More:Who Is Markwayne Mullin? Former MMA Fighter Picked By Trump To Replace Kristi Noem As DHS Secretary
However, Trump later told Reuters in a phone interview that he had not signed off on the campaign. “I never knew anything about it,” he said.
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