In a historic change to his cabinet since being re-elected as the president, Donald Trump has decided to replace Kristi Noem as the Secretary of Homeland Security. Noem, who has been the face of Trump’s ICE operations, will no longer serve as DHS director.
The move came after criticism against Noem’s leadership from both Republicans and Democrats piled up, and the White House became increasingly impatient with her. The decision was made after two days of congressional hearings, where Noem faced rare bipartisan grilling on Capitol Hill.
The former DHS secretary was blasted for her policies amid nationwide protests against the ICE crackdown and her alleged affair with her top aide, Corey Lewandowski, among many objections.
Thank you @POTUS Trump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas. @SecRubio and @SecWar are incredible leaders and I look forward to working with them closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 5, 2026
According to Al Jazeera, Noem was torched for running “smear campaigns” following the deaths of civilians Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Her response to emergency situations, such as the Texas floods in July 2025 and Hurricane Helene in 2024, also came under scrutiny.
One of the major controversies that triggered the President’s decision is a reportedly $200 million border security ad campaign where Noem can be seen riding a horse. Despite the Noem insisting that Trump had given the green signal to the ad, the president denied it, stating, “I never knew anything about it.”
However, Noem still gets to be a part of Trump’s immigration operations. She has been selected to serve as a special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a special security initiative that will handle mass migration to the US, on top of hindering drug cartel activities.
Trump has now nominated Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace Noem as the head of the DHS. Belonging to the Cherokee Nation, Mullin, if elected, would be the first Native American leader of the Department of Homeland Security.
Principal Chief Chuck @ChuckHoskin_Jr congratulates Cherokee Nation citizen @SenMullin on his appointment as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. @DHSgov pic.twitter.com/0ruA99jLj3
— Cherokee Nation (@CherokeeNation) March 5, 2026
Professionally, he is a renowned MMA fighter who has a 5-0 winning record. Before moving to the Senate in 2023, he was in the House of Representatives for a decade. He has been an avid supporter of Trump’s immigration policy.
Talking about the death of Alex Pretti, he had mentioned, “Obstructing federal law enforcement is a felony. Most Americans follow ICE instructions without thinking twice.”
Cherokee Nation’s Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. released an official statement congratulating Mullin and calling the nomination “historic.”
“Having a Cherokee Nation citizen serve within the United States Cabinet is a mark of high esteem for our tribe. It stands as a testament to the resilience, capability, and enduring impact of our people,” the statement read.
“We are confident in Secretary Mullin’s ability to lead with historic responsibility and look forward to the positive, unifying impact his unique perspective will bring to the nation,” it added.
