Trump dumps Noem, taps Mullin to be next DHS Secretary

The announcement follows a particularly punishing week for Noem, who was grilled by lawmakers in House and Senate Judiciary Committee hearings this week. During the long sessions, the Department of Homeland Security secretary fought to defend her performance, in spite of immigration agents killing several people (including two U.S. citizens in Minnesota), lags in FEMA disaster response and a $220 million advertising campaign that saw Noem dressed as a frilly cowgirl on horseback in front of a brilliantly lit Mt. Rushmore. ProPublica recently revealed Noem’s ties to the advertising agency.

In his Truth Social account, President Donald Trump announced a new role for Noem: “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.’”

A Shield of the Americas summit is scheduled for March 7, but it’s unclear if Noem will attend.

Trump’s pick for Noem’s successor is Markwayne Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma. An enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, Mullin stands to become the second Native man to serve in a presidential Cabinet. The first was Charles Curtis of the Kaw Nation, who was President Herbert Hoover’s vice president from 1929 to 1933.

In the same Truth Social post, Trump referred to Mullin as a “MAGA Warrior, and former undefeated professional MMA fighter,” adding, “As the only Native American in the Senate, Markwayne is a fantastic advocate for our incredible Tribal Communities.”

Cherokee Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. celebrated “this historic appointment” in a Facebook post, saying Mullin’s service in the Senate “has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to progress and the well-being of all communities, including Indian Country.”

While Noem has been a flashpoint of controversy in both her tenure as DHS secretary and as governor — she remains banned from all but one Indian reservation in South Dakota — Mullin himself has created controversy.

According to reporting by Axios, Mullin challenged a Teamsters president to a fight during a 2023 congressional hearing and also drew ire last year defending Pete Hegseth against allegations of alcohol abuse before he was confirmed as Defense Secretary by accusing other senators of hypocrisy.

Mullin was also investigated for continuing to work in his family’s plumbing business while serving in the House of Representatives. In 2018, an ethics committee concluded that he’d made “good faith efforts” to abide by ethics rules but determined that Mullin had to return $40,000 “mistakenly” paid to him.

Mullin needs Senate approval to become DHS secretary. While some Republicans are already voicing support for him, Senate Democrats are more restrained, including Senator Gary Peters from Michigan, who said that “guardrails” must be part of any DHS enforcement operations going forward.