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-Oklahoma).
“(Noem) has served us well, and has had numerous spectacular successes (especially on the border),” Trump posted.
Noem, a former South Dakota governor, has 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.
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)
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.
Noem also angered Trump by falsely claiming that he approved a controversial $200 million ad campaign featuring her encouraging undocumented immigrants to “self-deport.”
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 Golden Dome missile defense system.
