President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he was replacing Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary with Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, marking the first major personnel change of his second term. The decision 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.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Noem “has served us well” and would become special envoy for “the Shield of the Americas,” a security initiative he plans to announce this weekend. Mullin will take over from 31 March. “It’s humbling,” Mullin told reporters, adding that he had to call his father after the quick appointment.
Democrats welcomed Noem’s departure. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “Good riddance. She was a disaster,” but stressed that a change in personnel does not address the need for policy reforms. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer echoed this, stating, “I don’t trust any one person being in charge of this agency as long as Trump is president.”
Noem, a former Republican congresswoman and governor of South Dakota, was considered a potential running mate for Trump in 2024 but was passed over after admitting in a memoir to killing a dog. She became the public face of the administration’s immigration crackdown, which led to the deaths of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Noem accused both of “domestic terrorism,” but the allegations contradicted their known involvement in anti-ICE protests.
Reports also emerged of turmoil within the department, including Noem’s personal relationship with senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, despite both being married. The Wall Street Journal reported that the pair travelled on a luxury jet and administered polygraph tests to staff they distrusted.
