President Donald Trump abruptly dismissed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the cabinet official overseeing illegal immigrant deportations. This marks the first cabinet-level dismissal since Trump began his second term in January last year.
Trump announced on Truth Social on Monday that "Noem will move to a special envoy role for 'Shield of the Americas,' a new Western Hemisphere security initiative to be unveiled on the 7th." He nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), a former mixed martial arts fighter, as her replacement.
According to Axios, Noem's management practices had irked the president. The Coast Guard, which operates under DHS, purchased two jets for $172 million during the longest federal government shutdown in October last year.
The decisive blow came when Noem falsely testified at a congressional hearing on the 3rd that Trump had approved a $220 million DHS border security television campaign.
Noem, once considered a potential running mate during the last presidential election, had drawn criticism for labeling an American citizen killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a "domestic terrorist."
Axios noted that Mullin, an ardent MAGA supporter, is likely to align closely with Trump's immigration policies.
