Donald Trump on Thursday announced the dismissal of Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary, replacing her with Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. The move, effective 31 March, follows weeks of bipartisan criticism over Noem's leadership, including the killing of two US citizens by immigration agents and reports of a personal relationship with a top deputy.
Noem will become special envoy for 'the Shield of the Americas', a security initiative Trump plans to announce. In a Truth Social post, Trump said Noem 'has served us well' and achieved 'spectacular results', especially on border security. Mullin called the appointment 'humbling', while Noem thanked Trump and promoted her record.
Democrats welcomed Noem's departure. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, 'Good riddance. She was a disaster,' but stressed that policy changes are needed. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer added, 'I don’t trust any one person being in charge of this agency as long as Trump is president.'
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham acknowledged it was 'time for a change', while Noem's tenure was marked by controversy, including her memoir admission of killing a dog and allegations of a relationship with senior adviser Corey Lewandowski. The Department of Homeland Security has been partly shut down since February after Senate Democrats blocked funding over demands for new rules on immigration agent conduct.
