President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Republican Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin will replace Kristi Noem as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on March 31.
The announcement follows two Congressional oversight hearings Tuesday and Wednesday where lawmakers grilled Noem on her job overseeing the Department. Two deadly shootings in Minnesota following Operation Metro Surge and an alleged affair with her top aide have led members of Congress to scrutinize Noem’s leadership.
“The current Secretary, Kristi 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. I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who served with Mullin in the lower chamber, held a press conference just minutes after the unexpected announcement, saying he had no comment on “what is to come.”
“[Noem] is gone. Good riddance. It’s something House Democrats made very clear a few weeks ago that she was either going to be fired or impeach,” Jeffries said at a press conference minutes after the Thursday announcement. “Kristi Noem has been fired, consistent with what we have demanded on behalf of the American people.”
Jeffries still pushed for a change in DHS policy in order to release the gridlock blocking funds from DHS.
Trump touted Mullin’s combined 10 years of experience in both chambers, calling him a “MAGA Warrior” who “truly gets along well with people.” He also highlighted Mullin’s ability to advocate for Tribal Communities across the country as Mullin, the first American Indian to serve as DHS Secretary, is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
“Markwayne 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. Markwayne will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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