Republicans and President Donald Trump MAGA loyalists took to social media on Thursday, reacting to news that he had fired Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social following two days of Noem testifying before the Senate and House Judiciary Committees. She will be replaced with Republican Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin, if Congress approves the nomination.
Laura Loomer, a conservative commentator and close ally of the president, reacted quickly, saying on X that she hoped Mullin “hasn’t sold out too much to the jihadists” and said deporting Muslims should be a priority, a policy rhetoric she has often espoused.
“Oklahoma, where Senator Mullin is from, has a massive Islamification crisis which he hasn’t been very helpful in addressing,” Loomer said on X, adding that Trump’s border czar Tom Homan would have been a better replacement.
MAGA influencer Nick Sortor posted a request to Mullin: “do NOT relent on mass deportations!” adding in another X post, “I like this guy so far. He’s been pretty solid in the Senate. Just needs to keep deporting.”
Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham took to X to thank Noem for her service, but said he thought it was “time for a change” and that Mullin would be a good fit for the position.
“Markwayne understands the enemies we face, and he has been intimately involved in dealing with threats against our homeland in the public and private sectors,” Graham said on X. “He is one of the most knowledgeable people I know regarding how to protect America. Markwayne is an outstanding choice and I hope he gets the overwhelmingly bipartisan vote that he deserves.”
Republican Senator Rick Scott, of Florida, also took to X, posting, “President Trump was elected to secure our border, crack down on sanctuary cities and keep our country safe. I appreciate @Sec_Noem’s dedication to that mission.”
Democrats quickly celebrated the president’s move to oust Noem.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who repeatedly clashed with Noem over her federal agents’ actions in Chicago, took to X to tell Noem, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Kristi Noem.”
Noem had overseen DHS since the end of January 2025 and had faced ongoing scrutiny over her leadership of a department under scrutiny amid massive ramp-ups in ICE enforcement activities and deportations.
“Honestly everyone is happy, since her arrival, every process has become more bureaucratic, a lot of red tape,” a source at FEMA who wished to remain anonymous told Newsweek.
“Secretary Noem’s departure is a breath of relief, and everyone hopes FEMA can get the same love that ICE has gotten,” the source said.
This is a breaking news story that will be updated.
Newsweek‘s Leonardo Feldman contributed.
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