The political long knives were (and still are) out for Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi. Pundits left, right, and center had these names as the first ones to be taken down in the Trump administration, and many still await the opportunity to dance on their graves.
As is his wont, President Donald Trump threw a curveball into the political prognostications when he took to Truth Social to announce Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem would be replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). After Noem's Senate and House oversight hearings this week, her remaining in the role of DHS Secretary was cast into serious doubt, but I don't think anyone had Sen. Mullin as her replacement on their bingo card.
I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026. 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.”
Serving 10 years in the United States House of Representatives, and 3 in the Senate, Markwayne has done a tremendous job representing the wonderful People of Oklahoma, where I won all 77 out of 77 Counties — in 2016, 2020, and 2024! A MAGA Warrior, and former undefeated professional MMA fighter, Markwayne truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda. As the only Native American in the Senate, Markwayne is a fantastic advocate for our incredible Tribal Communities. Markwayne will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Markwayne will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Dive Deeper: Breaking: Noem Out As Trump Names New Secretary of Homeland Security
Did This Moment at Kristi Noem’s Senate Testimony Seal Her Fate at DHS?
Noem will still be a part of the administration, taking on a new role as "Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas," Trump's western hemisphere security initiative that he plans to launch on Saturday. But make no mistake: Noem has been sidelined. Despite being given an illustrious title in a bright, shiny, new organization with less structure and the potential to be shaped into a vision more to her liking, Noem will be less public-facing, won't be managing thousands of personnel in a complex and critical agency, and, more importantly, she won't be making the headlines — especially the terrible ones. Sadly, her one-year term of service has been plagued by them, and not just from legacy or left-leaning media.
Two years ago, then-South Dakota Gov. Noem made the huge misstep of thinking it was a good idea to spotlight the deliberate murder of a dog in her last book. After that, you would think she'd realized that her media instincts were terrible, especially in light of her move to a high-profile cabinet spot. Most people would have ensured that someone with an objective viewpoint, who could spot and stave off disasters, would be part of her inner circle. Apparently, Noem didn't think this was necessary, and this was part of her undoing. As I wrote in 2024, when Noem was auditioning for vice president:
With the expanded national platform, Noem decided to get a new set of advisors who chose to do her bidding. Noem made the fatal mistake of believing her own press and pretended for too long to be something she is not. She developed tunnel vision, and along with tunnel vision comes the loss of perspective and periphery. Noem also lost the main plot point. Whether it is positioning yourself for a presidential cabinet or claiming moral authority to speak to leadership and the concerns of the American people, the first rule of thumb is that it is not about you.
But Noem still has not learned this lesson. From her choice to do splashy photo ops and social media videos where she was featured instead of the work of DHS, FEMA, ICE, and Border Patrol, Noem's myopia in this area contributed to her downfall.
In the Tuesday Senate oversight hearing, Noem came under fire from both Democrats and Republicans for spending 220 million on a DHS ad campaign, which featured her prominently. As my colleague Rusty Weiss reported, the fact that the White House did not approve the budget for these ads and then Noem gave misleading testimony to the contrary is probably what cemented her fate.
Thumbs-Up👍 if you think Kristi Noem doing a great job. pic.twitter.com/0NiGMalGsP
— GoldenAge (@GoldenAgeUnfold) January 26, 2026
Then there is Easter 2025. Noem was out with her family at a D.C. restaurant when her Gucci purse, containing her DHS badge, passport, driver's license, mobile phone, blank checks, and $3,000 in cash, was stolen. While two suspects were apprehended for the theft, the terrible optics of Secret Service falling down on the job, as well as a cabinet member casually carrying important documents around in a purse, called into question Noem's judgment.
Read it Here: Masked Thief Who Lifted DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's Gucci Purse Arrested, Second Suspect at Large
Kristi Noem's Purse Stolen, Including Passport, Phone, and $3000 - Where Was the Secret Service?
I believe this was when the clock began to run out on her tenure. Noem never shook that "ICE Barbie," photo-op ditzy image, and it became more cemented with her less-than-stellar press conferences, particularly in critical moments for the agency. In her handling of the Minneapolis deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Noem came off as offensive, incompetent, and out of her depth. She so contributed to the already explosive atmosphere in the state that Trump had to bring in Border Czar Tom Homan to do damage control. The scuttlebutt around D.C. alleged that Noem had pushed Homan to the sidelines of immigration enforcement. So, the fact that Trump chose to position Homan for de-escalation and clean up for a situation which Noem and her chosen right-hand Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino helped to create, made it clear he had lost confidence in her ability to continue to lead not just Operation Metro Surge, but the agency.
In his Truth Social post presenting Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Trump said:
A MAGA Warrior, and former undefeated professional MMA fighter, Markwayne truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda. As the only Native American in the Senate, Markwayne is a fantastic advocate for our incredible Tribal Communities.
Key words here are: "truly gets along with people." If Noem's lack of coordination and communication with Homan is any indication, she might have created these same disconnects with personnel within the entirety of DHS. One of Mullin's jobs may well be to re-clarify the mission and unify the people tasked with its execution. His skill in finding consensus within the Senate body will serve him well in doing what Noem's singular focus on herself failed to accomplish.
Editor's Note: The Democrats are doing everything in their power to undermine the integrity of our elections.
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