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Trump sacks Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary amid controversy over shootings, spending
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday dismissed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following months of controversy surrounding fatal shootings involving federal officers in Minneapolis and concerns raised by lawmakers over a $220 million advertising contract.
Trump announced that Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin would replace Noem by the end of the month.
Noem, a former governor of South Dakota, had emerged as one of the most prominent members of Trump’s Cabinet, frequently posting on social media with harsh portrayals of immigrants, highlighting alleged criminal activities and using strong language.
Her exit, after becoming the public face of an aggressive immigration crackdown that recent polling suggested had grown unpopular, could give the administration an opportunity to recalibrate its immigration strategy, a central part of Trump’s policy agenda.
Shortly after Trump revealed her replacement, Noem posted on X: “We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again.”
During congressional hearings this week, Democrats and some Republicans criticised Noem’s handling of immigration enforcement and the management of her department. Lawmakers also questioned a $220 million advertising campaign that prominently featured Noem and was reportedly awarded to two longtime Republican operatives without the usual competitive bidding process.
Her personal life also drew scrutiny when a Democratic lawmaker asked whether she had a sexual relationship with top aide Corey Lewandowski, despite both being married.
Noem dismissed the question from U.S. Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove as “tabloid garbage.” Lewandowski did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Trump told Reuters that he did not approve the advertising campaign, which featured Noem prominently, including a scene of her riding a horse at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
However, during a congressional hearing earlier this week, Noem told Republican Senator John Kennedy that Trump had authorised the campaign.
First Senate-confirmed Cabinet member fired in Trump’s second term
Noem is the first Senate-confirmed Cabinet member to be removed during Trump’s current term.
During his first term from 2017 to 2021, 14 Cabinet members in the presidential line of succession either resigned or were dismissed.
Noem faced heavy criticism in January after quickly accusing two U.S. citizens who were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis of “domestic terrorism.”
Videos that surfaced after the incident contradicted claims by Noem and other Trump officials that the victims — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — were violent aggressors.
Public outrage over the deaths prompted the administration to scale back immigration sweeps in Minnesota, following months of operations across U.S. cities that led to violent confrontations between federal agents and residents opposed to the crackdown.
Two administration officials, speaking anonymously about the personnel decision, said the backlash from the shootings, the controversial $220 million contract, alleged mismanagement within the Department of Homeland Security, and the affair allegations all contributed to Noem’s dismissal.
Democrats in the House of Representatives had moved to impeach Noem, while at least two Republicans in Congress also called for her removal after the Minneapolis shootings.
Trump said on Truth Social that Noem would instead serve as an envoy to a planned summit in Miami aimed at reinforcing his Western Hemisphere policies.
Within minutes of Trump’s announcement of her replacement, Noem spoke at a law enforcement event in Tennessee for about 40 minutes but made no reference to her removal.
Officials familiar with the matter said she had already been informed of her dismissal before the event. They also indicated that Lewandowski was expected to leave the department, although the Department of Homeland Security and the White House did not immediately comment on his future.
Mullin backs Trump’s hardline immigration agenda
Markwayne Mullin, who served for a decade in the House of Representatives before becoming a senator in 2023, is also a supporter of Trump’s strict immigration policies.
Speaking to reporters, Mullin said he was surprised by Trump’s call informing him of the nomination. He described Noem as a friend and said he had not yet spoken with her.
“She was tasked with a very difficult job,” Mullin said.
Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress have blocked funding for the Department of Homeland Security since mid-February, insisting that immigration enforcement policies must be reformed.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Noem’s removal alone would not resolve the standoff.
“The problems at ICE transcend any one person,” Schumer told reporters. “The president has to end the violence and rein in ICE.”
Trump’s immigration policies have faced declining public support after federal agents detained U.S. citizens and used tear gas during enforcement operations aimed at boosting deportations. Despite the effort, deportations last year fell short of the administration’s target of one million annually.
Although Noem, 54, strongly championed Trump’s immigration agenda, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller — a longtime Trump adviser — has been the key architect of the administration’s immigration policy.
Noem was swiftly confirmed in January 2025 to lead the Department of Homeland Security, which employs about 260,000 people. On social media, she frequently referred to immigrants convicted of crimes as “scumbags,” even as arrests of non-criminal immigrants increased under the administration.
She also joined immigration enforcement operations in New York City and visited a maximum-security prison in El Salvador where Venezuelan migrants deported by the United States were being held without charges or access to lawyers.
Source: Reuters
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