President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is replacing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and will nominate U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, to lead the department.
Why It Matters
Trump said Noem will shift into a newly created role “special envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” a Western Hemisphere security initiative the administration says will focus on border enforcement and regional cooperation. Noem, former South Dakota governor, has overseen Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown, a tenure marked by protests, lawsuits and mounting bipartisan criticism.
Noem has faced scrutiny over DHS immigration enforcement tactics, including the deadly shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents in January. Following the deaths of Good and Pretti, Noem’s approval rating declined, and a group of House Democrats introduced three articles of impeachment against her.
Lawmakers grilled Noem this week over the department’s contracting practices, its handling of disaster response and the pace of emergency funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. She was also denounced over the aforementioned killings that occurred during immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, as well for the broader execution of the Trump administration’s hard‑line security policies.
Who Is Markwayne Mullin? Official Tapped for Secretary of Homeland Security
Mullin is a first‑term senator and former member of the House, first serving in 2013. In order to permanently take up the DHS role, he requires Senate confirmation. Under federal law governing executive branch vacancies, however, he could serve as acting secretary while his nomination is pending. Trump praised Mullin as a loyal ally and said the leadership change would strengthen the administration’s national security and immigration agenda as it enters a critical phase of implementation.
Mullin is also an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation.
What We Know About Markwayne Mullin’s Wife, Christie
Christie and Markwayne were high school sweethearts and have been married for nearly 30 years. The lifelong Oklahoman is the chair of rural policy at the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank founded in 2021 by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
The Mullins have run several companies together, including taking over the plumbing business of Markwayne’s father, and founded others, like Mullin Environmental, Mullin Properties and Mullin Ranch, according to Christie’s America First biography.
Christie has served as youth ministry sponsor at Coweta Assembly of God Church and as a girls’ gymnastics coach.
Who Are Markwayne Mullin’s kids?
The couple have six children together: Jim, Andrew, Larra, Lynette, Ivy and Jayce. In 2013, the Mullins adopted Ivy and Lynette, twin girls.
In April, Mullin shared that his son Andrew was undergoing clinical care regarding health issues including some “growth spots” on his lungs. Andrew is a University of Oklahoma wrestler. Jim Mullin is a wrestler at Oklahoma State University, according to the school’s website.
When Will Markwayne Mullin Take Over?
Trump said Mullin will become the DHS secretary effective March 31.
Mullin said his selection to lead the DHS was not entirely unexpected, though the timing caught him off guard. Speaking with reporters at the Capitol, the Oklahoma Republican said he had long maintained a close relationship with Trump, describing the two as “great friends” and expressing enthusiasm about joining the president’s Cabinet.
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