US President Donald Trump has appointed Republican senatorMarkwayne Mullinas the new Secretary of Homeland Security, moving to replaceKristi Noemamid ongoing criticism of the department's leadership.

The 48-year-old Oklahoma lawmaker will oversee the cabinet-level agency during a partial government shutdown that has currently paused its funding. If confirmed by his peers in the US Senate, Mullin will become the first Native American to serve as Homeland Security secretary since the post was established in 2003.

Trump announced the reshuffle on the Truth Social platform on Thursday. Noem, who faced mounting scrutiny over her departmental management, will be reassigned as 'Special Envoy of the Americas', a new role the president said will launch from Florida on Saturday. The leadership change follows sharp rebukes of Noem's tenure, including from Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who recently described her management as a 'disaster'.

Mullin steps into the executive branch as a staunch ally of the president. Speaking ahead of the State of the Union address, he referred to himself as a 'close ally', stating that Trump delivered 'the most secure southern border in American history' without altering US law. 'It turns out, all we needed was a new president,' Mullin remarked.

As head of Homeland Security, Mullin will oversee agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A member of the Cherokee Nation, he is the only Native American serving in the US Senate. He represented Oklahoma's second congressional district from 2013 until his election to the Senate in a 2022 special election to replace Jim Inhofe. In 2025, he voted to confirm all of Trump's cabinet nominations, including Noem, and recently praised military strikes against Iran as 'getting rid of this nuisance'.

Trump highlighted the senator's political allegiance and his background as an undefeated professional mixed martial artist, noting he fought in three professional welterweight matches between 2006 and 2007. 'A MAGA warrior and former undefeated professional MMA fighter, Markwayne truly gets along well with people,' Trump wrote, calling him a 'fantastic advocate for our incredible tribal communities'.

The appointment immediately drew public criticism from political opponents. California Governor Gavin Newsom questioned the move online, describing Mullin as an 'erratic, unstable man' while pointing to Oklahoma's high crime rates and the senator's previous remarks on race.​

Driving the backlash is widely shared footage from a November 2023 Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, during which Mullin challenged Sean O'Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, to a physical fight. The confrontation escalated to the point where Mullin began removing his rings. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders was forced to intervene, shouting: 'You are a United States senator!' before the lawmaker eventually relented.

Markwayne Mullin could not remember if we were at war THIS WEEK.His state has one of the highest crime rates in the country — with a murder rate 40% higher than California’s.He literally tried to fight union workers during a hearing and told them to “shut your mouth.”And…

Opponents have also highlighted photographs from the 6 January Capitol riot, which show the senator taking cover behind seating in the House chamber. Critics have contrasted these images with his subsequent political stances, actively circulating the media to question his temperament for the top security post.

Source: International Business Times UK