President Trump Thursday fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after a string of perceived missteps mostly related to the controversial immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and elsewhere.
Trump announced on his social media site that he plans to replace Noem with Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who will take over at the end of March.
“I am super excited about this opportunity,” Mullin told reporters, noting that he still must be confirmed by Senate colleagues.
Noem sought to put a positive spin on her ouster, ticking off a list of what she called “historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again.”
Barry Williams/ New York Daily News
Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, speaks during a press conference Monday, July 21, 2025, in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
Democrats wasted no time dancing on Noem’s political grave and said Trump was bowing to their pressure to oust her.
“Kristi Noem is gone. Good riddance,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the House minority leader. “She was a disaster.”
Noem, 54, a former South Dakota governor, suffered a series of setbacks in recent months overseeing the agency that has played the leading role in Trump’s campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
Trump removed Noem from running the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis after the controversial killings of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration and border patrol agents, replacing her with border czar Tom Homan.
Under withering questioning at congressional hearings this week, Noem refused to apologize for calling both the slain protesters domestic terrorists even as she offered condolences to their families.
Noem also irked Trump by claiming that he approved a controversial $200 million ad campaign featuring her encouraging undocumented immigrants to “self-deport.” Trump angrily denied her account.
She drew additional criticism for frequently traveling on a plush $70 million DHS plane equipped with a bedroom. Noem, who is married, has fended off persistent questions about her cozy relationship with Corey Lewandowski, a top aide who is also married.
Mullin, a Trump loyalist, is a first-term senator who previously served five terms in the House. He is considered a favorite to win Senate confirmation.
Noem will be shunted to a new post as a special envoy promoting Trump’s new security initiative for the Western hemisphere.
The ouster of Noem comes at a difficult time for DHS, which is operating under a partial government shutdown amid a dispute over the tactics used by ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies.
Democrats have vowed to continue blocking funding unless the Trump administration agrees to a package of reforms, including requiring agents to identify themselves, remove masks and participate in impartial investigations of the killings and other alleged misconduct.
