Noem dismissed - Trump fires his homeland security secretary and turns to Markwayne Mullin

Donald Trump fired his homeland security secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday. He announced the decision himself on social media. At the same time, he said he would nominate Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as her successor. Noem is instead to take on a new role that did not previously exist: special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas,” a security initiative for the Western Hemisphere. Kristi Noem is thus the first cabinet member to be pushed out in Trump’s second term. Her departure follows several days of intense pressure. In hearings before Congress, she was sharply questioned by Republican lawmakers. At the center was a $220 million border security advertising campaign in which she herself appeared prominently. Our reporting found that the American Resolve Policy Fund was founded in 2023 almost simultaneously with Noem’s personal company - with only a four minute gap, both in Delaware. In its first full year, the organization declared about $1.1 million in revenue according to tax filings - of which about $220,000 was spent, roughly one third of it directly to Ashwood Strategies. The official explanation was that Noem had raised $800,000 in donations and received an $80,000 fundraising fee. Notably, this income did not appear in Noem’s required federal disclosure - even though she had already been nominated as homeland security secretary at that time. See here our reporting from back then on the matter

The advertisements showed Noem, among other things, on horseback in front of Mount Rushmore in her home state of South Dakota. Asked about the awarding of the underlying contracts, she said everything had taken place within a competitive process and that political appointees were not involved. A day later, she assured a Senate committee that the contract had been properly and lawfully awarded. But Trump publicly contradicted her. Noem had testified under oath that the president had approved the campaign. Trump now says he knew nothing about it. A White House spokesperson declined to comment and referred only to Trump’s statement.

Zusätzliche Aufmerksamkeit erhielt der Umstand, dass das mit der Kampagne beauftragte Unternehmen Verbindungen zum Ehemann von Noems früherer Sprecherin hatte. Senator John Kennedy aus Louisiana, ein Republikaner, der Noem in der Anhörung hart befragt hatte, erklärte, der Präsident habe ihn nach ihrer Aussage angerufen. „Sagen wir es so“, sagte Kennedy, „seine Erinnerung und ihre Erinnerung unterscheiden sich.“

Additional attention was drawn to the fact that the company commissioned for the campaign had ties to the husband of Noem’s former spokesperson. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a Republican who had questioned Noem sharply during the hearing, said the president had called him after her testimony. “Let’s put it this way,” Kennedy said, “his recollection and her recollection differ.”

Markwayne Mullin, a Republican and hardliner from Oklahoma, is considered a close Trump ally. The president speaks with him regularly. Mullin said he was open to Democrats’ concerns. At the same time, he expressed respect for Noem and described her as a friend. She had worked under difficult circumstances and done her best, he said. One could learn from her tenure and build where things had not gone as planned. In the Senate, confirmations can now be secured with a simple majority. Republicans could therefore theoretically push through Mullin’s nomination without Democratic votes. Nevertheless, procedural issues and political tensions could delay the vote. Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, said he would wait to see whether Mullin represented an improvement. It would be hard to sink any lower.

Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer of New York made clear that the personnel change would not alter his party’s demands. Democrats again blocked an attempt on Thursday to fund the Department of Homeland Security. They are demanding restrictions on immigration enforcement. “The problem is political, not personnel,” Schumer said. “The decay runs deep.” No one could change the situation as long as the president did not fundamentally realign the entire department, stop violence and rein in ICE.

While Noem was speaking at a conference in Nashville and answering questions from law enforcement representatives without addressing her dismissal, Republican senators were patting Mullin on the back at the Capitol. Noem continued speaking as if she still led the department, announcing meetings with sheriffs in New York State and avoiding any direct reference to her removal. Trump said Mullin should begin at the end of the month. Until then, an agency remains in focus that stands like few others for the political tensions in Washington. The dismissal of Kristi Noem is more than a personnel change, it was overdue.