Tipsheet

Here's What Caused Trump to Fire DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  March 05, 2026 1:50 PM

Okay, so for weeks, there’s been some palace intrigue regarding Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Is she going to get the boot? Has the ongoing public relations war between the public, press, and DHS vis-à-vis the ICE surges eroded trust? Not the case, until now. On March 3, Noem testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and revealed something that the president reportedly did not want known. In fact, rumor has it that he’s now mulling Noem’s replacement, which is how much this irritated him. National Review had the scoop earlier this morning, which was later confirmed by the president. Markwayne Mullin will be replacing Noem at the end of the month:

President Donald Trump is privately furious with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi 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, National Review has learned.

The president is frustrated that the embattled cabinet secretary repeatedly suggested under oath that the president was aware of the multi-million-dollar ad campaign — which featured Noem prominently — and approved its release before the agency greenlit the contract, according to a source familiar with the president’s thinking. 

[…] 

“Did the president know you were gonna do this?” Kennedy interjected. 

Noem answered again in the affirmative multiple times. “I’m not saying you’re not telling the truth. It’s just hard for me to believe, knowing the president, as I do, that you said, ‘Mr. President, here’s some ads I’ve cut, and I’m going to spend $220 million running them,’ that he would have agreed to that,” Kennedy said. “I don’t think Russ Vought” at the Office of Management and Budget “would have agreed to that,” he added. 

These frustrations have prompted the president to privately express his openness to replacing her, according to a person familiar with the matter. One name he has begun floating this week as a potential replacement: Oklahoma’s junior U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin. 

This hearing appeared to be the straw that broke the camel's back, however. Noem will now be Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas. 

No doubt, Noem stepped in the mud by casting a claim about the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis that was inaccurate and later had to walk back. There are also rumors about Noem and Corey Lewandowski, but that’s been known for months, and it hasn’t damaged her. But making Trump look bad, yeah, that can land you in the gulag. In fact, making your boss look bad, in general, is a one-way ticket out of any place of employment. 

This makes for an epic showdown in the Senate regarding confirming Mullin. 

UPDATE: WSJ had more about the initial rumblings today as well:

President Trump is preparing to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to advisers familiar with his thinking. 

The president has already been asking aides and congressional Republicans for names of potential replacements, the advisers said.  

A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security said, “Secretary Noem serves at the pleasure of the President.” The White House didn’t respond to requests for comment. 

The final straw for Trump was Noem’s combative hearing Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which showed bipartisan frustration with Noem’s leadership, the advisers said. 

Noem’s decision to allot $200 million for an ad campaign, featuring herself urging those living illegally in the U.S. to self-deport, had already rankled the president for months for its self-promotional style.