Trump Moves to Replace DHS Secretary Kristi Noem With Sen. Markwayne Mullin

Trump Announces Change in Homeland Security Leadership

President Donald Trump announced via a Truth Social post that he intends to replace Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. The announcement was posted while Noem was delivering live keynote remarks at the Sergeant Benevolent Association Major Cities Conference in Nashville. Shortly before she took the stage, Trump informed Noem by phone of his decision.

Tensions Over Minneapolis Immigration Operation

The leadership change followed a controversial immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and the fatal shootings of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Administration officials stated that aggressive tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during that operation had become politically problematic nationwide.

Shift in Enforcement Strategy Under Tom Homan

Inside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Trump had previously placed border czar Tom Homan in charge of winding down the Minneapolis operation, effectively removing Noem from direct control of that effort. Officials said that, under Homan's leadership, the administration shifted away from sweeping urban enforcement operations and refocused on arresting immigrants in the country illegally who also have criminal records. The departure of top border official Gregory Bovino, who had been a field commander for earlier operations in Los Angeles and Chicago, coincided with this change in approach.

Advertising Expenditures and Contract Oversight Disputes

According to two people familiar with the matter, Trump expressed frustrations during a tense conversation with Noem adviser Corey Lewandowski that included discussion of controversial DHS advertising spending of roughly $220 million, which had drawn scrutiny from the administration and from Capitol Hill. Another point of contention arose from a directive Noem issued in June 2025 requiring her personal written approval for contracts, grants, and funding obligations above $100,000. Officials stated that this policy created significant backlogs for funding, including money for disaster relief programs run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Incidents Involving Corey Lewandowski

News reports described an incident, referred to as "blanketgate," involving Lewandowski on a Coast Guard plane. According to those reports, Lewandowski entered the cockpit as the plane was ascending and asked the pilot where Noem's blanket was. When the pilot said he did not know, Lewandowski allegedly fired him on the spot. The Coast Guard later reinstated the pilot. A source familiar with internal planning later said that Lewandowski will depart DHS along with Noem.

FEMA Reform Panel Delay and Congressional Disputes

During a congressional hearing in December, Noem left the panel early. She later learned that a DHS review panel vote intended to approve reform recommendations for FEMA had been canceled. DHS subsequently delayed and ultimately abandoned the planned rollout of those FEMA reform recommendations. Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Thom Tillis publicly criticized Noem amid a dispute between DHS leadership and the department’s inspector general, Joseph Cuffari. The dispute involved access to records and communications with Congress related to a classified report on vulnerabilities in Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport screening procedures. Cuffari asked Congress to help address what he described as repeated obstruction of his office’s oversight work, and Tillis told lawmakers that the situation was serious enough for the inspector general to speak out publicly.

Planned Nomination and Confirmation Process for Markwayne Mullin

Trump stated that he plans to nominate Mullin to replace Noem as DHS secretary. Mullin will require Senate confirmation, including a hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. Recently, while speaking to the McGrath Breakfast Group in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mullin reportedly recounted voting against an amendment in order to help avert a government shutdown. In those reported remarks, Mullin said he respected Sen. Bernie Sanders as an "open socialist" and called Rand Paul a "freaking snake."

Current Acting DHS Leadership

Many senior leaders at DHS are serving in acting roles without Senate confirmation. These officials include Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE; Karen Evans, the senior official performing the duties of the FEMA administrator; Nick Andersen, acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; and Ha Nguyen McNeill, acting administrator of TSA.

Noem’s Departure Date and Future Role

Noem informed DHS staff in a department-wide message that her last day as secretary will be March 31. In that message, she stated that in her new position as Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, she will work alongside Secretary Rubio and Secretary Hegseth to dismantle cartels that she said have brought drugs into the United States. Noem thanked DHS personnel for their work to keep the homeland safe, defend American citizens, and protect what she described as the American way of life, and wrote that serving as DHS secretary had been the honor of her life.