Newly appointed Department of Homeland Security head Markwayne Mullin is already under fire as the agency faces a major challenge, an insider has claimed.
Mullin was appointed DHS head to replace the fired Kristi Noem, but has hardly hit the ground running in the new role. Insiders and political analysts believe the pressure is already on for Mullin to unite the Republican Party and improve immigration figures. Mike Howell, who leads the Oversight Project, a far-right watchdog group, told Politico that there is still confusion over Mullin's stances.
Howell added, "During this grace period, things have happened that have been counter to the mass deportation cause, and nothing seems to have happened that is in favor of the mass deportation cause."
A person close to the White House, who was granted anonymity to discuss the story, has suggested this could be a bigger issue than one of policy at the DHS.
They claimed, "Is it simply an image issue, or is it also an image and a policy issue? I think they’re trying to navigate all of that. That’s going to be his biggest challenge, dealing with what the base wants, but also what the donors and advisers want."
Politico analysts Eric Bazail-Eimil and Myah Ward added the ongoing DHS shutdown has not helped Mullin, who is struggling to stabilize the department less than a month into the job.
They wrote, "Mullin also continues to face the complexities of a weekslong shutdown of the department over the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Legislation to end the shutdown has stalled.
"Republican leaders in Congress say they are renewing the push to fund DHS next week, but it’s unclear if enough Republicans and Democrats will vote to finally break the impasse.
"Trump himself acknowledged the tall order ahead of Mullin in remarks at a White House Easter Brunch in March, where he said he plucked Mullin from a safe seat in the Senate to 'three years of turmoil at DHS.'"
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) believes the changes Mullin has made so far are "largely superficial and cosmetic" and that he is yet to oversee a "basic change in the substance of policies, which are supposed to be going after the worst of the worst."
Democratic Party officials are not the only opposition to Mullin, with Senator Jim Justice (R-W.V.) saying the Republican Party must step in should the uncertainty continue.
"We've got to give him time to get his feet on the ground," Justice said. "Three months and a day, if we're sputtering and everything else - different animal."