President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is reassigning Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to replace her as head of the Department of Homeland Security.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump also thanked Noem for her time leading the department, saying the former South Dakota governor “has served us well.”
Noem will move into a new role as “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a new U.S. security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere.
Trump described the initiative in his announcement, saying Noem would help lead regional efforts aimed at strengthening security partnerships across the Americas.
Noem delivered her first public remarks after news of the change while speaking at a conference hosted by the Sergeants Benevolent Association at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee. The announcement that she was being replaced by Mullin came while she was on stage answering questions from law enforcement officials, though she did not reference the development during the event.
Later Thursday, Noem addressed the change in a statement on X, thanking Trump for the appointment.
“Thank you @POTUS Trump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” Noem wrote. “@SecRubio and @SecWar are incredible leaders and I look forward to working with them closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren.”
Noem said the new role will allow her to continue advancing national security efforts beyond the Department of Homeland Security.
“The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. security. In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security,” she said.
She also highlighted what she described as accomplishments during her time leading the department.
“We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again: we delivered the MOST secure border in American history, 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S., we have located 145,000 children, FEMA delivered disaster relief at a 100% faster rate, we ushered in the golden age of travel, saved the American taxpayer $13 billion and revitalized the U.S. Coast Guard.”
Meanwhile, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) announced Thursday that he will vote to confirm Mullin as secretary of Homeland Security, making him the first Senate Democrat to signal support for the nomination.
Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, is expected to face Senate confirmation before formally assuming the role on March 31.
