President Trump has fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and nominated Senator Markwayne Mullin as her successor after publicly accusing Noem of lying to Congress about his approval for a $220 million advertising campaign featuring herself.
President Trump announced Thursday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is being replaced by Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) following allegations that she misled Congress regarding a $220 million self-promotional ad campaign. The dismissal, delivered via Truth Social, came after Trump explicitly denied Noem’s testimony that he had authorized the taxpayer-funded initiative, telling Reuters, “I never knew anything about it.”
The dispute was corroborated by Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), who noted that Trump’s recollection of the events was significantly different from Noem’s, while White House sources indicated the President was “furious” over her claims. Although Noem will transition to a role as Special Envoy for the newly created “Shield of the Americas” security initiative, her exit marks the end of a controversial tenure defined by bipartisan criticism over federal enforcement actions in Minneapolis and plummeting public support for the administration’s immigration agenda.