Trump Fires Kristi Noem, Taps Oklahoma Senator to Lead DHS

Walking Papers Trump Fires Kristi Noem, Taps Oklahoma Senator to Lead DHS The president now wants Markwayne Mullin to run the department leading the administration's immigration crackdown By Nikki McCann Ramirez , Ryan Bort March 5, 2026 After weeks of public scrutiny, personal scandal, and bad press over her handling of the Department of Homeland Security, President Donald Trump has fired Secretary Kristi Noem , tapping Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin as her potential replacement. Noem is the first member of Trump’s second-term Cabinet to be removed from their position. In a statement posted to Truth Social on Thursday, Trump wrote that he was “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 , 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,” the president wrote. “I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.’” The dismissal comes days after Noem was berated by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over a series of disastrous blunders by her department, including the killings of two American citizens by border patrol agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and apparent attempts by DHS to stifle investigations into the shootings. Noem has also been under fire for extravagant spending at the department, while placing restrictions on FEMA disaster relief funds. Reuters reported that Trump was upset over Noem’s comments during hearings before the House and Senate Oversight Committees regarding multi-million dollar contracts granted to the husband of her former deputy press secretary. Noem defended the $220 million dollars in spending on ads, which prominently featured her, as w...