Trump Fires DHS Chief Noem Amid Florida FEMA Criticism, Taps Sen. Mullin
Noem's ouster follows complaints from Treasure Coast residents over slow hurricane aid and immigration enforcement lapses, with Oklahoma's Mullin nominated as replacement.
President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday, making her the first Cabinet secretary to leave his second administration amid mounting criticism over immigration enforcement, a disputed $220 million ad campaign, and the pace of federal disaster response.
Trump announced on social media that he would nominate Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace Noem, who had led the Department of Homeland Security since the start of Trump's second term. Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, Mullin may serve as acting secretary while his Senate confirmation is pending. Trump said Noem would instead serve as "Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas," a new Western Hemisphere security initiative.
For Treasure Coast residents, the shake-up at DHS carries direct stakes. FEMA — a DHS component agency — administers disaster recovery funds critical to Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties, which remain in active recovery cycles from prior hurricane seasons. Noem faced bipartisan criticism, including from Republicans, over slow emergency funding approvals and the administration's overall disaster response posture. A leadership transition at DHS could further delay or complicate pending FEMA reimbursements to the region.
Noem's ouster followed two days of bruising congressional hearings in which both Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed her on a $220 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign featuring Noem that urged people in the country illegally to self-deport. Noem told lawmakers Trump had been briefed on the campaign in advance, but Trump disputed that in a Thursday interview with Reuters, saying he did not sign off on it. Scrutiny of the campaign compounded earlier criticism over the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by immigration enforcement officers.
Moments after Trump's announcement, Noem took the stage at a DHS event and read from prepared remarks without acknowledging her firing. The Republican-controlled Senate has not set a confirmation timeline for Mullin.
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