President Donald Trump clashed behind the scenes with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin over this year's July 4 celebration.
The DHS chief — brought in to stabilize a department reeling from a turbulent first year under predecessor Kristi Noem — has found himself repeatedly at odds with the president who tapped him for the job earlier this year, reported The Free Press.
"He has made several moves that caused tension within the administration," the report stated, "including between himself and President Donald Trump."
One recent "clash" centered on the White House's "Salute to America 250" celebration on the National Mall, which Trump had promoted for months as one of the grandest events in American history.
When multiple officials recommended calling off the event as severe weather moved into the area – and Mullin issued a directive.
But the president personally overruled Mullin, and after an hours-long delay and temporary evacuation of attendees, he took the stage after 11 p.m. to deliver remarks and watch the fireworks.
Trump later wrote on social media that he had "immediately overturned" the cancellation decision, and the White House's public statement praising the event's success notably did not dispute reports of Trump's private anger at Mullin.
Less than two weeks later, Trump overruled Mullin again — this time over an internal memo instructing ICE agents to stop making arrests at traffic stops.
Mullin had reportedly issued the directive after speaking with Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) about the fatal shooting of a Colombian immigrant and food delivery driver by an ICE agent in Collins's home state of Maine.
The policy reversal angered immigration hardliners, prompting Trump to publicly declare on Truth Social that the administration "cannot give up" traffic stops as an enforcement tool, warning that doing so would "play right into the criminal's hands."
The department faces external pressure from immigration hawks concerned about transparency in deportation statistics, including a lawsuit from a conservative-aligned nonprofit over unfulfilled public records requests. At the same time, DHS appears to be taking steps to appease hardline critics, including new airport arrests of noncitizens with expired visas and a proposed $100,000 fee on a visa extension program for STEM students — though the White House cautioned that no such policy has been finalized.
Adding to the pressure, Mullin has reportedly become "paranoid" about internal leaks, including the circulation of a personal résumé belonging to Trump's ICE director nominee, Lance Schroyer, which drew unflattering media coverage.
DHS has denied opening a formal investigation into the leak but emphasized the safety risks posed by staff having personal information exposed publicly.