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President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday, replacing her with Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a former MMA fighter. Noem's removal followed two brutal days of congressional testimony where lawmakers questioned her spending on luxury planes, a heated blanket incident, and an unauthorized $220 million self-promotion ad campaign. Trump confirmed to GOP lawmakers he didn't approve the advertising spending. Noem also faced direct questioning under oath about rumored romantic involvement with Corey Lewandowski, with her husband present. Trump announced Noem would be demoted to "Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas," a newly created position. Democratic leaders, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, celebrated her departure while criticizing her record. Social media responses ranged from celebrations to harsh critiques, with critics arguing Trump fired her because she embarrassed him, not for endangering citizens.

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Fox News host John Roberts pointed out how fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared "rattled" while delivering a speech to the Sergeants Benevolent Association of New York in Nashville, seemingly unaware she was being replaced. Roberts noted Noem's uncharacteristic speech mistakes, suggesting she may have known about her impending dismissal but was compartmentalizing. As Noem spoke, Fox News cut to live footage of incoming DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin entering an elevator at the Capitol, speaking on his phone, and claiming, "I'll be back." Roberts humorously questioned whether Mullin was genuinely on a call or pretending to avoid conversation, drawing from his own experience of using phones as social avoidance tactics. Mullin never returned to face the cameras.

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Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) revealed that President Trump called him Tuesday night "mad as a murder hornet" after Kristi Noem's disastrous Senate hearing, ready to fire her. Kennedy disclosed that Noem had requested Trump approve a $250 million television ad campaign to promote herself, which Kennedy called outrageous: "A quarter of a billion dollars, not a million, a quarter of a billion dollars, on television to promote yourself. Gag me with a spoon, man." The $220 million ad contract was awarded to a firm run by the husband of former DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, with ads filmed at Mount Rushmore. Under Kennedy's questioning, Noem claimed Trump approved the campaign, contradicting the president's account. Kennedy noted their "versions of the truth are different." Incoming DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin acknowledged learning of his appointment moments before reporters.

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Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), a longtime Trump supporter first elected to the Senate in 2015, withdrew his re-election paperwork on Wednesday in an abrupt announcement. His decision came after University of Montana President Seth Bodnar announced an independent Senate bid backed by former Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. Daines endorsed U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme as his successor, who filed for office minutes before Daines' retirement announcement. Trump praised Daines as "exceptional" and threw his complete endorsement behind Alme, calling him Trump 45 and Trump 47's U.S. Attorney. Trump stated that Alme's "highest level of aptitude and talent" persuaded Daines to step aside. CNN's Manu Raju characterized Daines' exit as "abrupt," signaling another GOP lawmaker abandoning his seat amid challenging electoral dynamics in Montana.

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President Donald Trump's justification for the Iran war, that Iranian missiles posed an imminent threat to America, was contradicted by MS NOW's Jackie Alemany on Thursday morning. During a White House medal ceremony on Monday, Trump claimed Iran "would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America." However, Alemany reported that a White House source revealed Trump had been eager to strike Iran for at least a month and a half, dating back to conversations at Mar-a-Lago. Alemany characterized the war as driven by personal motivation rather than substantive national security concerns, describing it as Trump wanting to settle a score and build his legacy. She noted bipartisan congressional opposition exists but falls short of Senate passage or likely House support. The reporting suggests Trump's missile threat narrative masks a pre-existing desire for military conflict.

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President Donald Trump is reportedly calling Senate Republicans to solicit their views on firing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following her congressional testimony. House Speaker Mike Johnson has also speculated about replacing her. Trump's frustration centers on Noem's handling of a $220 million government-funded ad campaign that Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) argued primarily boosted her personal name recognition. The ad contract was awarded to a firm run by the husband of former DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin and was filmed at Mount Rushmore. When confronted, Noem claimed Trump approved the campaign. Republicans were divided on whether this was the right time for removal, concerned about finding 51 Senate votes for a replacement amid universal Democratic opposition and vulnerable GOP senators seeking independence. Some fear replacement would embolden Democrats.

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President Donald Trump's controversial White House ballroom project is facing massive public opposition, with 97 percent of over 35,000 comments filed with the National Capital Planning Commission opposing the plan. Trump demolished the East Wing without following regular procedures to make room for the massive structure, which is more than twice the size of the central White House building. The project's cost continues escalating, with Trump pledging private donations to fund construction, though this raises conflicts of interest concerns. Public comments range from criticism of the unauthorized $300 million expenditure to concerns about destroying historic President's Park. Even Trump supporters are objecting. Jim Cunningham, a Pennsylvania GOP leader who voted for Trump three times, stated the White House "belongs to the American people" and "isn't his personal property." The ballroom is one of several grand Trump tribute projects planned.

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced a direct question under oath Wednesday about long-rumored allegations of an affair with Trump administration aide Corey Lewandowski. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) questioned why Lewandowski held such a prominent position despite serious concerns: previous misconduct, lack of DHS experience, physical battery allegations, sexual harassment, carrying a loaded gun into a federal building, and illegal Venezuelan lobbying. When asked point-blank if she had sexual relations with Lewandowski, Noem refused to directly deny it. Instead, she called the question "tabloid garbage" and became defensive, describing Lewandowski as a special White House employee with no decision-making authority. Kamlager-Dove emphasized the question concerned judgment, not personal matters. Social media users noted Noem's non-denial as conspicuous, with commenters stating she never said "no."

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President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is firing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and replacing her with U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), effective March 31. Trump praised Mullin as a "MAGA Warrior" and a former undefeated professional MMA fighter. Noem is being reassigned as Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a new Western Hemisphere security initiative Trump will announce Saturday in Doral, Florida. Trump credited Noem with "numerous and spectacular results, especially on the Border," while officially thanking her for her service. Noem's removal follows weeks of controversy, including her testimony that Trump approved a $200 million self-promotion advertising campaign. The firing also came after GOP senators privately questioned whether Trump should remove her following damaging congressional testimony about her leadership decisions.

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President Donald Trump is threatening to cancel the May 26 Texas Republican Senate runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, demanding the race stop immediately. After neither candidate secured 50 percent in Tuesday's primary, a runoff became necessary. Trump, who didn't initially endorse either candidate, posted that the race "cannot be allowed to go on any longer" and "must stop now." He promised an endorsement conditional on the losing candidate immediately dropping out, effectively eliminating voter choice in the runoff. Trump boasted that his endorsements are "virtually insurmountable" and that he wins "by a lot, especially in Texas." The winner will face Democrat James Talarico, who defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary.

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Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones distanced himself from President Trump and the MAGA movement on Wednesday, criticizing the Iran military operation and potential ground troop deployment. Jones warned of massive casualties, saying Trump was abandoning "America First" principles by bending to neoconservatives and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. He claimed he'd been offered millions to "sell out" but refused, asserting he's "1776 worldwide" rather than MAGA. Jones compared Trump to a broken lawnmower after 10 years of use: now smoking and on fire, ready to be discarded. He criticized inconsistencies in Trump's policies, noting the administration can't deport undocumented immigrants but will fight a "million-man army" in Iran. Jones's break from Trump reflects deepening fractures within the far-right coalition over military escalation.

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Candace Owens continues pushing conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk's death and his widow, Erika Kirk, despite backlash from the conservative movement that elevated her, according to Salon's Sophia Tesfaye. Owens' YouTube series "Bride of Charlie" suggests Erika Kirk was involved in her husband's murder or harbors "ulterior motives" to control Turning Point USA. Conservative media figures who once championed Owens now call her a "vampire" and "schizophrenic," yet cannot contain her influence. Tesfaye explains that right-wing media built the conspiratorial engine fueling Owens' rise, one that rewards outrageous claims and institutional distrust over truth. Her trajectory reflects broader MAGA fractures over foreign policy and generational power shifts. Most troublingly, Tesfaye notes, Owens' conspiracy rhetoric creates fertile ground for antisemitic narratives among audiences primed to distrust "globalists" and "elites."

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Liberty University Law School sent an internal email to students advertising Department of Labor internships in Washington, explicitly stating that political alignment with Trump and the administration was more important than academic credentials. Associate director Derek Green wrote that GPA was "not a strong factor" and encouraged students not to worry about transcript requirements if they met the two essential criteria: Trump loyalty and willingness to work hard. Applicants would face political screening questions, including "Did you vote for President Trump?" and "Do you disagree with the President on anything?" The Department of Labor representative described the positions as "political" where interns would "serve the Trump Administration." Legal analyst Judd Legum noted this suggests treating internships as Schedule C positions, which the Supreme Court ruled can only be conditioned on political beliefs in specific policy roles.

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