WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday, making her the first cabinet member to depart their post.
Noem’s ouster caps off a tumultuous year in which she oversaw Trump’s controversial and unpopular immigration reform policy. The president said he would tap Sen. Markwayne Mullin, (R-Okla.) to replace her, elevating a loyal first-term senator.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump added that Noem “has served us well,” and will take over a new role called “Envoy for The Shield of the Americas.” He described the position as one that will lead “our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere.”
An administration official told FWRD AXIS News that Trump decided to fire Noem because of “a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures, including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE.”
“Kristi’s drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration’s extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force,” the official added.
Corey Lewandowski, a close aide and adviser to Noem, is also expected to leave DHS, according to an administration official.
Lewandowski, who was one of the first staff members on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, faced scrutiny from lawmakers about his role at the department, including whether he had the authority to approve grants and contracts.
Mullin told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday that he was “super excited about this opportunity” and that it was “not a complete surprise.”
“The president and I, as you guys know, we’re great friends, and we get along great. I look forward to working with him in his Cabinet. Of course, we’ve still got to go through this little thing called confirmation, and we’re going to get started on it right away,” he said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Mullin “extraordinarily qualified” on X and said the White House will work with the Senate to confirm him “as quickly as possible.”
Noem’s position within the administration became increasingly precarious following the tragic incident where federal agents fatally shot and killed two U.S. citizens during immigration operations in Minneapolis.
In the congressional hearings Tuesday and Wednesday, lawmakers questioned Noem about the $200 million ad campaign she oversaw that urged anyone in the U.S. illegally to deport voluntarily.
Noem told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that Trump approved the multimillion-dollar ad campaign, a claim the White House denied.
“POTUS did not sign off on a $220 MILLION ad campaign. Absolutely not,” a White House official said Tuesday.
