Reuters
(Washington, DC) – President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, making her the first cabinet member to be dismissed during his second term in office.
The decision comes after a week of intense scrutiny surrounding Noem’s testimony before Congress, where she faced tough questioning from both Republicans and Democrats over a controversial government advertising campaign tied to the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump revealed the move in a post on social media, confirming that Noem would be removed from her role leading DHS. The president said she would transition into a new position as a special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas,” which he described as a new Western Hemisphere security initiative.
Noem had been a central figure in the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement efforts, particularly the push for mass deportations that Trump made a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign. Her tenure, however, became increasingly overshadowed by controversy and mounting criticism from lawmakers.
At the center of the scrutiny was a $220 million government-funded advertising campaign promoting border security policies. The ads prominently featured Noem, including scenes filmed on horseback near Mount Rushmore in her home state of South Dakota. Lawmakers raised concerns about how the contract for the campaign was awarded after it was revealed that the firm responsible had connections to the husband of Noem’s former spokeswoman.
During congressional hearings earlier this week, Noem defended the arrangement, insisting the contract was awarded through a competitive process and that all procedures were followed legally. However, tensions escalated after Trump publicly contradicted her testimony.
Speaking to Reuters, Trump said he had no knowledge of the advertising campaign, despite Noem telling lawmakers under oath that the president had approved it.
“I never knew anything about it,” Trump said.
The conflicting accounts drew attention from lawmakers who had pressed Noem during the hearings. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said the president personally called him regarding the matter.
“Put it this way,” Kennedy told reporters. “His recollection and her recollection are different.”
The dismissal follows weeks of speculation within Republican circles that Noem’s position in the administration was becoming increasingly unstable as the controversy unfolded.
