Trump ousts Kristi Noem, names Oklahoma senator as homeland security nominee

try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Trump replaces Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem Wall Street ends lower on escalating Iran conflict, report of AI export curbs Oil extends weekly gains as Iran conflict rages on, with crude surging around 20% Gold prices dip as stronger dollar weighs; Iran conflict remains in focus (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) Trump ousts Kristi Noem, names Oklahoma senator as homeland security nominee By Politics Published 03/05/2026, 01:51 PM Updated 03/05/2026, 04:14 PM Trump ousts Kristi Noem, names Oklahoma senator as homeland security nominee 0 By Ted Hesson, Nolan D. McCaskill, Richard Cowan and Jasper Ward WASHINGTON, March 5 - Kristi Noem, who oversaw U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown and faced bipartisan criticism in hearings this week over a $220 million ad contract, will leave her role as homeland security chief at the end of the month. Trump will tap Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her, he said on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, a move that would require U.S. Senate confirmation. Noem, a former governor of South Dakota, became one of Trump’s most high-profile Cabinet secretaries with social media posts that portrayed immigrants in harsh terms, highlighting cases of alleged criminal offenders and using vitriolic language. During congressional hearings this week, Democrats and some Republicans criticized Noem for her approach to the immigration crackdown and management of her department, including concern over a $220 million ad campaign that heavily featured Noem and was awarded to two longtime Republican operatives without a standard bidding process. Trump told Reuters on Thursday that he did not sign off on the ad campaign prominently featuring Noem, including a scene of her on horseback at Mount Rushmore in her home state of South Dakota. In one congressional hearing this week, Noem told Republican U.S. Senator John Kennedy that Trump had approved the ad c...