Kristi Noem's time at the Department of Homeland Security is up, and insiders believe her comments about another administration figure sealed her fate.
Donald Trump confirmed Noem would be moved from her position at the DHS at the end of the month. Noem, who was made DHS head on January 25 last year, will be replaced by MAGA-friendly Senator Markwayne Mullin. But insiders at the DHS believe Noem's sacking is of her own making, and it is not due to her comments at a recent Congressional hearing on the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Insiders believe Noem's attempt at shifting blame from herself to Stephen Miller, Trump's Security Advisor, brought her time at the DHS to an end. One person speaking to The Daily Beast on condition of anonymity said, "It was only a matter of time. She was blaming Miller for a lot. No way Trump lets her stay after that."
Another insider, also nameless, suggested Noem was struggling to lead the department even with clear guidance from those around her.
They said, "Some GOPers were literally guiding her by the nose, and she still failed." A third insider said they simply enjoyed the "crushing" experience Noem endured in her final days as the Department of Homeland Security head.
Noem will be made Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a new position confirmed by Trump in a post he made to Truth Social, which he also used to announce Mullin as Noem's replacement at the DHS.
Trump wrote, "I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026.
"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.'"