WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump has fired Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, the White House announced on Wednesday. Noem’s ouster comes after months of mounting criticism over her leadership and performance at the sprawling federal agency.
Noem, a former Republican governor of South Dakota, had served as Homeland Security chief since the start of the Trump administration in January 2017. Her tenure was marked by a series of controversies and missteps, including the botched response to the 2019 border crisis and her failure to prevent a series of high-profile domestic terror attacks.
According to senior administration officials, Trump lost confidence in Noem’s ability to manage the Department of Homeland Security and safeguard national security interests. The president was particularly upset over Noem’s handling of the recent mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, which left 22 people dead.
Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin, a Republican, has been floated as a potential replacement, but the White House has not yet confirmed his nomination. Mullin declined to speculate on the timeline for the confirmation process, saying only that he was “honored to be considered” for the high-profile role.
The firing of Noem underscores the intense political pressures facing the Trump administration on homeland security and immigration issues ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Trump has made these topics a centerpiece of his America First agenda, but has struggled to deliver on his most ambitious promises to date.
Analysts say Noem’s ouster could signal a broader shakeup at the Department of Homeland Security in the coming months, as the president seeks to shore up his national security credentials with voters. However, the path forward remains uncertain, with deep partisan divisions in Congress complicating the confirmation process for any new DHS nominee.