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The ouster of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday felt a long time in coming for some allies of President Donald Trump.
One source close to the White House responded bluntly to Semafor: “Hallelujah.” Moments before Trump’s announcement, a second person close to the situation described her as a “dead man walking.”
Trump announced on social media that Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., would replace Noem atop the department beginning March 31. Noem lost her position after a slew of missteps and controversies. But the final straw was a Tuesday Senate hearing where she sparred with Republicans as well as Democrats and claimed that Trump had approved a $200 million-plus DHS ad campaign, first reported on by Semafor.
Noem, according to Trump, will be shifting over to serve as “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.” He described it as a “new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere” that’s being formally announced this weekend as he prepares to meet with Latin American leaders.
Her ouster marks the first Cabinet turnover Trump has seen during his second term. While his allies have described him as unwilling to give into critics and opponents by adopting a “Fight Club” mentality against ousting his advisers, Noem’s standing had become untenable during early 2026.
This year alone, Noem suggested two US citizens killed by immigration agents in Minnesota were domestic terrorists; she was eventually sidelined from leading operations in the state.
Administration officials also perceived her close relationship with Corey Lewandowski, her top aide, as a perennial problem — one that senators raised with her in person this week.
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The nine-figure ad campaign that Noem launched soon after she was tapped to lead the department featured her prominently as she warned migrants in the country illegally that the administration will “find you and deport you.”
Trump, sources confirmed, was incensed by Noem’s assertion that he had signed off on the campaign. On Thursday, the president told Reuters he “never knew anything about” the advertising campaign, contradicting Noem’s sworn testimony on Capitol Hill where she insisted Trump had signed off on it.
Many inside the White House have hoped for Noem’s ouster for months, as Semafor recently reported, and Trump aides have long named her as the most likely Cabinet official to be replaced.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., posted on X that he appreciated Noem’s contributions but “I think it was time for a change.”
It’s unclear how quickly Mullin might get formally nominated for the DHS position, but he’s likely to get confirmed easily by his former colleagues in the Senate. His red-state seat is likely to remain in Republican hands.
DHS remains shut down as Democrats negotiate with the White House over proposed changes to immigration enforcement.
“A change in personnel is not sufficient” to break the logjam, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters after the ouster. “We need a change in policy, and that has to be bold, dramatic, transformational and meaningful.”
Notable
- Read our original report on the massive DHS ad campaign.
- Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., is likely to run to replace Mullin, per Punchbowl.
Nicholas Wu contributed.