Overview
- Markwayne Mullin is slated to take over on March 31 and will require Senate confirmation, though he can serve in an acting capacity while his nomination is pending.
- Kristi Noem will shift to a new role as Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a White House security initiative to be unveiled Saturday in Doral, Florida.
- Trump’s decision followed two days of contentious congressional hearings where Republicans and Democrats pressed Noem on DHS operations, spending, and her testimony about the ad campaign.
- Lawmakers also scrutinized fatal Minneapolis operations, delayed FEMA contracting tied to Noem’s review of awards over $100,000, and the role of adviser Corey Lewandowski, including questions Noem dismissed as “tabloid garbage.”
- The leadership change arrives as DHS faces a partial funding lapse and ongoing investigations into its enforcement tactics, contracting, and messaging.