CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten stated on Friday that the majority of Americans support President Donald Trump removing Kristi Noem from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The majority of Americans, 58%, and 62% of independents, wanted Noem removed from office in February, Enten said while citing a Quinnipiac University poll. Trump announced on Thursday that Noem would conclude her role as DHS secretary on March 31 and be replaced with Republican Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin.
“She was a political nightmare for the president of the United States. I mean, just take a look at this. Wanted Noem removed as DHS secretary. Overall, last month, Quinnipiac University found the majority of Americans, 58%, wanted her to be adios amigos, goodbye, see you later,” Enten said. “Among independents, you can see right here, 62% of independents, we’re talking more than three in five independents, wanted her kicked to the curb. So Donald Trump here [was] making the politically popular move because Americans were simply put sick of Kristi Noem.”
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Noem had a net negative approval rating in every single poll conducted during Trump’s second term, Enten added.
Trump largely won on the issue of immigration in 2024 and initially held a positive net approval on his handling of the issue, though his approval numbers on immigration declined while Noem was in charge. Trump had a +7 point approval rating on immigration when his second term began in January 2025, but his approval dropped to -17 points as of March 2026.
“You go back a little bit over a year ago, he was on the plus side of the ledger. Look at that. Two thumbs up, plus seven points. But again, down he goes in large part because Kristi Noem’s efforts, look at this, minus 17 points on the net approval rating on a key issue for Donald Trump, one that got him elected to his second term,” Enten said. “And among independents, he went from plus three, plus three net approval on immigration, all the way down to minus 30 points. I mean, my goodness gracious, on a key issue that independents had trusted Donald Trump on, over Kamala Harris, and Kristi Noem’s efforts simply put, killed, crushed Donald Trump on such a key issue for him.”
Noem came under scrutiny for her handling of the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in January, particularly after she accused him of committing “an act of domestic terrorism.” Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said on Thursday that Trump “was mad as a murder hornet” after Noem said during a Tuesday hearing that he approved of a $220 million advertising campaign.
Trump later told Kennedy over the phone that he never approved of the ad campaign or had any knowledge of it, Fox News’ Bill Melugin reported on X. The testimony appeared to be the final straw that led Trump to oust Noem as DHS secretary.
More frustrations emerged as Noem and her senior adviser, Corey Lewandowski, frequently fired staff and forced many of them to take a polygraph test if they did not trust them, The Wall Street Journal reported. Lewandowski fired a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after Noem’s blanket was left behind on a private jet.
Rumors have long circulated that Noem and Lewandowski engaged in a extramarital affair, which reportedly prompted Trump to reject Lewandowski’s request to be Noem’s chief of staff, according to The WSJ. Noem, who had little immigration enforcement experience, reportedly earned her job at DHS because of Lewandowski’s influence.
Trump reportedly knew about the relationship and repeatedly brought it up to associates. A reporter asked Trump about the alleged relationship on Air Force One in February; Trump responded by saying he had no knowledge of the rumors and would “find out about it.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Noem would serve as the special envoy for The Shield of the Americas.
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