Trump abruptly fires DHS chief Kristi Noem, and insiders say a disastrous Senate hearing sealed her fate
“Kristi Noem” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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President Donald Trump has removed Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, announcing Thursday that he plans to replace her with Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. The decision makes Noem the first cabinet secretary dismissed during Trump’s second term.
The development was detailed by The Wall Street Journal, which reported that Trump made the decision after watching Noem’s contentious Senate testimony earlier in the week. He reportedly told advisers Tuesday evening that he intended to remove her and soon began contacting members of Congress to discuss potential replacements.
Her departure follows months of scrutiny surrounding her leadership at the Department of Homeland Security. This includes congressional criticism, internal complaints from officials, and controversy over department spending decisions.
A Senate hearing appears to have pushed Trump to act
According to The Wall Street Journal, the final turning point came during a combative Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday. The hearing landed amid broader DHS terror alert concerns, and Trump reportedly reacted angrily to Noem’s testimony before telling advisers she would be removed.
The hearing focused heavily on a controversial advertising campaign that encouraged people living in the United States illegally to self deport. The effort cost more than $200 million and prominently featured Noem herself, drawing criticism from lawmakers and reportedly frustrating the president for months.
During the hearing, Noem said Trump had approved the campaign, a claim the president later disputed to advisers and lawmakers. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana criticized the campaign during questioning, saying the ads boosted Noem’s name recognition and placed Trump in a difficult political position.
The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general has since opened an audit examining how the advertising contract was awarded. Noem also faced additional scrutiny during a House Judiciary Committee hearing the next day after acknowledging that one contract tied to the campaign had not gone through a competitive bidding process.
Inside the White House, frustration with Noem had been building for weeks. Officials raised concerns about her management of the agency and about the growing influence of Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Trump ally who served as an adviser to her, while the administration was also dealing with classified briefing disputes elsewhere on the national security front.
Lewandowski, who managed Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, reportedly played a role in spending, policy, and personnel decisions within the department. His influence drew concern among officials because he maintained private business interests while serving as a special government employee.
Her leadership also faced criticism over management decisions inside DHS. One policy required Noem’s approval for spending above $100,000, a step critics said delayed contracts across the agency even as lawmakers pressed for answers on oversight and security issues.
Lawmakers were also seeking answers about a classified inspector general report warning that a DHS policy allowing some passengers to keep their shoes on at airport checkpoints could create significant security risks. The inspector general separately alerted Congress that department leadership had obstructed oversight work connected to an ongoing federal criminal investigation.
Trump announced Thursday that he plans to nominate Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security.
Published: Mar 6, 2026 10:45 am