Kristi Noem has been sacked as homeland security secretary in an ouster that marks the “culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures”
Donald Trump put out a social media post announcing she was being replaced by a senator from Oklahoma.
He said Ms Noem would be moving to a new job, special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, in about three weeks.
Posting on Truth Social, his own social media network, Mr Trump praised her “numerous and spectacular results” in the role.
But a White House official struck a very different tone when they spoke about her dismissal to NBC News, Sky’s US partner network.
Kristi Noem arrives at the White House in March last year. Pic: Reuters
They said her ouster was “a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures”.
Ms Noem becomes the first cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term.
Ms Noem came under scrutiny after calling the actions of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota an “act of domestic terrorism” after she was shot dead by ICE agents.
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents two weeks later.
Demonstrators in Minneapolis, Minnesota, protest after the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Pic: Reuters
At hearings in Congress this week, Ms Noem faced stinging criticism from fellow Republicans – particularly over a £165m ($220m) ad campaign she appeared in that encouraged people in the US illegally to leave voluntarily.
She insisted that Trump was aware of the campaign in advance, but he contradicted her in an interview, saying he did not sign off on it.
She faced further criticism over the pace of emergency funding approved through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as over the White House’s response to disasters.
Kristi Noem appearing before a House Judiciary Committee at Congress on Wednesday. Pic: Reuters
Speaking to NBC News, a White House named these among her failures.
They added: “Kristi’s drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration’s extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force.”
In his social media post, Mr Trump wrote: “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.
“The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida.
“I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.'”
Markwayne Mullin meeting Donald Trump in Philadelphia in March last year. Pic: Reuters
Noem addressed a Department of Homeland Security event moments after Trump’s announcement but didn’t mention her change of role.
She spoke for more than 20 minutes, but read prepared remarks reinforcing Trump’s message from the State of the Union last month.
Mr Mullin has to be confirmed in his post by the Senate, but he can serve as acting secretary as long as his nomination is formally pending.
