Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
After months of rumors suggesting she could be replaced, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's departure was confirmed on March 5 by President Donald Trump.
In a social media post, Trump announced that Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin would replace Noem effective March 31 and thanked the former South Dakota governor for her "numerous and spectacular results" during her time leading the Department of Homeland Security.
Despite the amicable message, a new report by Axios says Noem's firing had been weeks in the making. Her exit comes amid heavy scrutiny over her handling of Trump's immigration crackdown and her response to the Minnesota shootings that ended with the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of immigration officers.
In the days following the shootings, Noem publicly described the incidents as acts of "domestic terrorism," linking the deaths to what she characterized as coordinated violent resistance to federal immigration enforcement.
"She burnt up a ton of goodwill," an adviser who spoke with Trump told Axios. "It was everywhere. It was everything."
According to the report, the tipping point came when Noem made two "humiliating appearances" before House and Senate committees, where she faced bipartisan questioning over alleged mismanagement at DHS, accusations of self-promotion at taxpayer expense, and even a rumored extramarital affair with her personal adviser and de facto chief of staff, Corey Lewandowski.
Adding to the scrutiny, Noem also faced criticism from Trump administration officials for spending deportation funds to purchase two luxury Gulfstream jets and leasing a Boeing Business Jet 737 to First Lady Melania Trump, who used it on several flights between Washington, D.C., and New York.
According to Axios, the planned cost for the three aircraft exceeded $270 million, with one administration official describing the purchases as "the world's worst deal to buy an aircraft." The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Noem and Lewandowski hoped lending the plane to the first lady would help keep them in Trump's good graces.
"They're smart. Corey is really smart. I don't take that away from them. Because they flew the first lady on it, they think they're bulletproof," the official said, calling the move to involve the first lady an "insurance policy" for the spending. The official added that Trump had been made aware of the situation and did not react positively.
During this week's hearings, Noem was also seen struggling to explain why disaster relief funds from FEMA were still being held up.
"She had no goodwill on Capitol Hill," the adviser said. "She mismanaged FEMA. She didn't show up to hearings. She was disrespectful. No one liked her."
Noem had overseen the administration's mass deportation campaign since taking office in January 2025. Her tenure was marked by a highly visible public profile, including appearances in enforcement-themed advertisements and visits to immigration detention facilities abroad.
Those campaigns also created friction with other Trump administration officials, who viewed them as self-promotional.
According to Axios, Noem's immigration ad campaigns cost about $200 million for production and airtime, with at least $79 million already spent.
In an exchange with Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Dick Durbin, Noem expressed condolences to the families but did not withdraw her prior remarks, despite being pressed by the Senator.
"When we have these situations happen, we always offer our condolences to those families and I offer mine as well," Noem said. "These are tragic situations and I can't imagine what these families go through in losing a loved one."
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Tags: Kristi Noem, Dhs, Department of Homeland Security, United States, Donald Trump