'Good Riddance': Trump Fires Kristi Noem From DHS, Names 'MAGA Warrior' as Replacement

Amid mounting calls for the ouster of US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over her department's deadly immigration operations and detention facilities denounced as concentration camps, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that she will take on a new role and Sen. Markwayne Mullin will replace her.

Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the Republican senator from Oklahoma will take over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on March 31, while 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."

The initiative will seemingly build on Trump's fatal bombings of boats allegedly trafficking drugs and a new joint operation that's sending US troops to Ecuador. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the governments attending the summit "have really formed a historic coalition to work together to address criminal narco-terrorist gangs and cartels and counter illegal and mass migration into not only the United States but the Western Hemisphere, which remains a key and top priority of this president."

After thanking Noem for "her service at 'Homeland,'" Trump promoted Mullin as "a MAGA Warrior, and former undefeated professional MMA fighter" who "truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda."

Trump touted Mullin's Native American heritage and said he "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."

Mullin's conduct in Congress has notably included threatening to physically fight Teamsters president Sean O'Brien during a 2023 Senate hearing. His formal nomination to lead DHS will require confirmation by the Senate, which is narrowly controlled by Republicans. According to Fox News, Noem "will likely be at least temporarily replaced by Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar, a Navy veteran and former mayor of Los Alamitos, California, in the line of succession for the agency."

Trump's announcement came just hours after the National Review reported that Trump "is privately furious" with Noem "for suggesting in her Senate Judiciary Committee testimony on Tuesday that he gave advance approval of a taxpayer-funded $220 million ad campaign contract that was subcontracted to one of her allies."

During that Senate hearing, Noem faced outraged Democrats and Republicans. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) ripped into her over DHS agents' killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis—a topic retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) also addressed, noting the infamous passage of Noem's book in which she describes shooting her family's dog and goat.

Responding to Trump's announcement, Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan said, "Good riddance to the racist, lying puppy killer."

Graham Platner, one of the Democrats running to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in November, similarly said "good riddance" to what he called one of Collins' "worst confirmation votes ever."

The progressive oyster farmer and combat veteran also renewed his call to "dismantle" the DHS agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stressing that "the sickness at ICE goes far deeper than one person at the top."

Progressives currently serving in Congress joined Platner in welcoming Noem's departure from DHS but also reiterating criticism of the department leading Trump's mass deportation campaign.

"It's about time," declared Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.). "But Trump's violent, cruel deportation agenda didn't begin with Kristi Noem, and it won't end with her firing. We need to abolish ICE, dismantle DHS, and prosecute everyone responsible for violating our rights, bypassing due process, and killing people in our streets."

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) said that "this is a big win. Kristi Noem was a disaster, and people speaking up got her fired. But Kristi Noem is not the architect of Trump's dangerous mass deportation policies, and we can't let up the pressure. Fire Stephen Miller."

DHS remains partially shut down due to a congressional funding fight. Just a day after grilling Noem on the Fourth Amendment during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Pramila Jayapal said "good riddance" to her while also arguing that "Congress still cannot fund DHS until there is real, tangible proof that this will be a meaningful, structural change."