Breaking: Kristi Noem out at DHS, Trump taps Oklahoma senator to replace her

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin will replace Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, marking the first Cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term.

Effective March 31, Trump said Noem, who has “served us well,” will be “moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere.”

The Truth Social announcement came shortly after the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was preparing to fire her. Trump’s final straw was when Noem faced a contentious Senate hearing earlier this week that indicated lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were growing frustrated with her, the Journal reported, citing advisors, and the president was angered by her more than $200 million ad campaign in which she was featured prominently. 

Trump said Noem’s replacement, Mullin, will make “a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security.”

“Serving 10 years in the United States House of Representatives, and 3 in the Senate, Markwayne has done a tremendous job representing the wonderful People of Oklahoma, where I won all 77 out of 77 Counties — in 2016, 2020, and 2024!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “A MAGA Warrior, and former undefeated professional MMA fighter, Markwayne truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda.”

Trump added that he will work to “Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN.”

Looking forward to his new position, Mullin said that although he is a Republican, “we’re going to try to earn everybody’s vote.”

“I’m here to enforce the policies that Congress passed, and right now I’m part of it, but once I make that transition my focus is to keep the homeland secure,” he told reporters after the announcement. In a post on X, Mullin said he looks forward to supporting Trump’s mission to “safeguard the American people.”

“President Trump ran on restoring law and order, and he quickly delivered the most secure U.S. border in American history,” he wrote.

Noem said she is looking forward to her new role, where she will work in the western hemisphere to “dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren.”

She added that during her time at Homeland Security, the agency “delivered the MOST secure border in American history” and “3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S.”

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are quickly reacting to the news, with Democratic lawmakers including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer saying “good riddance” to Noem. “She was a disaster,” Jeffries said.

Others are already looking ahead to the Senate vote to confirm Mullin. “As a member of the Homeland Security Committee and Ranking Member of Subcommittee on Border Security,” Democratic Sen. John Fetterman wrote on X, “I’m not sure how many fellow Democrats will vote to support our colleague [Mullin] as the next DHS Secretary, but I am AYE.”

Photo credit: The White House