by Sharon Rondeau
(Mar. 5, 2026) — Early Thursday afternoon, President Trump announced on Truth Social he is replacing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with Oklahoma U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R) effective March 31.
Noem had served since January 25, 2025.
“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,” Trump posted at 1:41 p.m. EST, continuing:
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!
PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
According to Sandra Smith of Fox News, rumors had swirled that Trump was displeased at a $220 million advertising campaign Noem launched about which she was questioned over two days of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings this week.
Noem’s written testimony is here.
On Tuesday Noem responded to questioning from Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) that Trump had “tasked me with getting the message out to the country” on DHS’s actions to deport illegal aliens, a key campaign plank of Trump’s 2024 platform.
Several reports say Trump said he was not aware of the expenditure in advance, though Noem testified he had “signed off” on it.
As of this writing (2:05 p.m. EST), Noem is speaking live at a “Major Cities Conference” in Nashville, TN.
DHS has been partially defunded due to an impasse in Congress beginning in mid-February. Affected are the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Secret Service preparations for events such as “America 250,” FIFA World Cup, and 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the U.S. Coast Guard and other government functions.
Approximately an hour prior to Trump’s announcement, Mullin denied knowledge of the coming appointment. However, video Fox aired at 2:29 p.m. showed Mullin climbing the stairs of the U.S. Capitol trailed by reporters asking when he “found out” about it, to which he responded, “Shortly before you did.”
At 2:37 p.m., Mullin took questions from the press on Capitol Hill.
Mullin has been supportive of her efforts to deport illegal aliens en masse in accordance with Trump’s agenda.
Noem is a former state representative from South Dakota, U.S. representative, and two-term governor of the state. During the 2024 presidential campaign, she was rumored to have been on Trump’s list for vice president and expressed confidence he would choose an appropriate running-mate.
The phone call from the White House was one he was not expecting, Mullin told the press on the Capitol steps. He said he is a “friend” of Noem’s and sees “an opportunity” to make the department “even better” than it is.
He will face the constitutional process of Senate confirmation.