President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday in the first cabinet shakeup of his second term, moving swiftly to replace her with Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin.
Trump announced the decision on Truth Social after growing frustrated with Noem’s testimony before Congress earlier this week, where she said the president had approved roughly $220 million in advertising campaigns featuring the former South Dakota governor.
“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026,” Trump wrote.
The sudden move marks the first cabinet-level shakeup since Trump began his second term earlier this year.
The Department of Homeland Security oversees a vast portfolio of federal agencies responsible for domestic security, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration.
Noem, a former two-term governor of South Dakota and a close political ally of Trump, had been leading the department during a period of intensified immigration enforcement and heightened domestic security concerns.
Her removal follows days of scrutiny over the advertising campaign referenced during her congressional testimony, which reportedly promoted the administration’s immigration and border security initiatives while prominently featuring Noem.
🚨 BREAKING: Sen. MARKWAYNE MULLIN is being named US Secretary of Homeland Security by President Trump, he will replace Kristi Noem
Wow!
“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the… pic.twitter.com/eO7vBTZtXS
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 5, 2026
This story is developing…
🚨 BREAKING: Trump nominates Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to replace Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary pic.twitter.com/LQxApErVdQ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 5, 2026
