(WASHINGTON) – President Donald Trump on Thursday ousted Kristi Noem as head of the Department of Homeland Security. He named Sen. Markwayne Mullin to be her replacement, effective March 31.
Mullin has served as the junior senator from Oklahoma since 2023. Speaking to reporters outside the Capitol shortly after the announcement, Mullin said that even though he talks to the president regularly, he wasn’t expecting the call on Thursday.
“There’s a lot of work we can do to get the Department of Homeland Security working for the American people,” he said. “My focus is to keep the homeland secure. That’s going to be my focus.”
He said he would quickly get to work on winning confirmation.
Trump said on Truth Social that Noem “has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!).” He also appointed her to an all-new position as the special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas.”
In a statement on X, Noem thanked Trump for the appointment.
“We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again,” she said of her tenure.
But House Democrats took credit for Noem’s departure in a post on X.
“Less than 24 hours after House Judiciary Democrats grilled Secretary Noem before our Committee, Trump had no choice but to fire her,” read a post from @HouseJudiciary.
During her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, Noem faced questions about the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renée Good in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents. She was also grilled on alleged misconduct by ICE officers and misuse of department funds.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY.) in a presser called Noem a “disgrace,” adding that, “A change in personnel is not sufficient, it has to be a change in policy.”
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) supported Trump’s decision to appoint Mullin, saying in an afternoon news conference that the president has “made excellent choices across the cabinet.”
Katelynn Winebrenner, Nina Wilson and Max Schaeffer contributed to this report.