Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was relieved of her duties on Thursday afternoon by President Donald Trump. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma is wanted by Trump to be appointed in her place.
"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,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Noem has faced scrutiny in her role, hitting a boiling point this week after testimony in front of the U.S. Senate that made even some Republicans uncomfortable with DHS and Noem's behavior regarding careless spending in addition statements made following U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) murders of two Americans in Minnesota earlier this year.
Mullin has routinely been one of the vocal Trump supporters who has made his rounds on cable news networks, pushing the president's agenda—whether that is regarding the administration's mass deportation policy, or current foreign affairs in Iran and the Middle East.
Trump said that Mullin will start on March 31, praising him as "a MAGA Warrior and "former undefeated professional MMA fighter" who has served many years in the U.S. House and more recently the Senate.
"Markwayne truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "As the only Native American in the Senate, Markwayne is a fantastic advocate for our incredible Tribal Communities.
"Markwayne will work tirelessly 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. Markwayne will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security."
However, even as Trump said Mullin would be appointed on March 31, that position requires congressional confirmation.
Noem is the first Cabinet member to be fired during Trump's second term. Mullin had not yet publicly remarked on the firing and his selection by Trump.
Noem's Ups and Downs
Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, has faced headwinds as head of DHS.
She oversaw a mass deportation aimed at mitigating illegal immigration into the U.S., touting the administration's actions as recent as this week. DHS on Wednesday reported historic lows in illegal immigration, with 34,631 total nationwide encounters in January of this year—an 87% decrease compared to previous administration averages.
The department also highlighted nine consecutive months of zero illegal alien releases by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, with Southwest border apprehensions dropping to roughly 245 per day.
But statements and purchases have been highly questioned by members on both sides of the aisle. She also seemed to catch the president off guard.
Noem testified to senators on Tuesday that Trump approved of a $200 million ad campaign that widely included her image and likeness. But on Thursday, Trump told Reuters: “I never knew anything about it."
Axios reported that DHS spent more than $300 million on three private luxury jets, including two Gulfstream G700s purchased in October and a Boeing 737, nicknamed the “Big Beautiful Jet." She was also questioned on Tuesday about a jet that included a bed, part of an image that previously went viral.
ICE-Related Deaths
In terms of ICE-related questions, Noem claimed that DHS has documented an 8,000% increase in death threats against ICE officers and their families, plus an increase of more than 1,300% in assaults.
But even as Noem criticized Democrats during Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and described them as "reckless" and "unnecessary" in not approving DHS funding, she was strongly scrutinized by Democrats as well as some Republicans.
She clashed with Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) after he asked her multiple times why she and other Trump administration members described killed Minneapolis, Minn., residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti as "domestic terrorists."
When pressed by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) about her phrasing towards the victims and offered a chance to apologize to their families, Noem dodged the question and seemed to change the backstory of who infused the phrase "domestic terrorism" in those incidents.
GOP Criticism
Republicans also strongly questioned Noem, on those incidents and other aspects of her leadership.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) asked her about the "domestic terrorism" remarks and how Noem in January said she did it "at the direction of the president and [White House Deputy Chief of Staff] Stephen [Miller]."
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) demanded Noem's resignation in January. Tillis, during Tuesday's hearing, was especially forceful in his remarks and called her leadership a "disaster."
"Why can't we just say we made a mistake?" Tillis, who is not running for reelection, asked Noem about the killings in Minnesota. He also brought up how her memoir cavalierly mentioned how she shot her dog to death.
"The fact that you can't admit to a mistake, which looks like—under investigation—it's going to prove that Ms. Good and Mr. Petty probably should not have been shot in the face and in the back."
This story was updated with additional information.
