In the midst of extolling Donald Trump’s accomplishments on border security to a room full of law enforcement officials in Nashville, Kristi Noem received unexpected news: she had just been dismissed by the President, marking her as the first cabinet member to exit during his second term. The announcement sent ripples across the nation on Thursday.

Noem was engaging with officers at the Sergeant Benevolent Association Major Cities Conference, answering questions with no hint of the bombshell she had just received. Her demeanor remained composed as she continued to laud the Trump administration’s policies, with the audience seemingly unaware of her abrupt departure.

During her address, she spoke highly of Trump’s initiatives, citing his recent State of the Union Address. “President Trump reminded us of our duty to serve the American people,” she mentioned, as if oblivious to her own looming exit.

Despite the surprising turn of events, Noem maintained a steady expression, even breaking into a smile when an officer complimented her as his “dream woman.”

Trump took to Truth Social to announce the appointment of Senator Markwayne Mullin as her successor and revealed that Noem would transition to a newly created role as Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.

Following her Nashville speech, Noem expressed gratitude towards Trump on X, asserting proudly that she had “delivered the most secure border in American history.”

The last straw came when Noem told Senator John Kennedy under oath that Trump had personally approved a $220 million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign that featured her prominently and was widely seen as a vehicle to boost her national profile. Trump flatly denied it. ‘I never knew anything about it,’ he told Reuters. 

Noem faced a drubbing before the Senate and House Judiciary Committee’s on Tuesday and Wednesday where she was confronted by Republicans over the deadly immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, lavish spending, and her alleged affair with her aide Corey Lewandowski.

This is the brutal moment that Kristi Noem was introduced on stage to tout Donald Trump’s achievements just 20 minutes after he announced her firing

Trump (pictured in the White House Thursday) just moments earlier announced on Truth Social that he was nominating Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace Noem

The ‘last straw’ for Trump came when Noem told Senator John Kennedy under oath that she’d been given the President’s approval for a $220 million taxpayer-funded campaign designed to boost her national profile (pictured). ‘I ​never knew anything about it,’ Trump told Reuters in an interview

Lewandowski attends the election night watch party for Donald Trump at the Palm Beach County Convention Center on November 5, 2024 

Trump wrote on Truth Social: ‘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.

‘The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida. I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.” 

The cinematic advert showed the former South Dakota governor on horseback at Mount Rushmore and galloping beside a stampede of bison in a cowboy hat.

The huge contract was awarded to an LLC, which subcontracted with a firm run by the husband of DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, who has since resigned.

Noem squirmed under the Louisiana senator’s slow-burning drawl as he methodically dismantled her defense line by line.

‘The President approved ahead of time you spending $220 million running TV ads across the country in which you are featured prominently?’ Kennedy asked.

Noem replied: ‘Yes sir, we went through the legal processes.’

Kennedy shot back: ‘Did the President know you were gonna do this?’

The cinematic ad showed Noem galloping beside a stampede of bison in a cowboy hat

The Homeland Security Secretary wore a gold watch and a $700 Veronica Beard double-breasted tweed blazer

Trump announced that Senator Markwayne Mullin will be nominated to become the next DHS Secretary

Noem testifies before the House Judiciary Committee

Noem claimed that Trump did, and Kennedy, his voice rising in mock astonishment, asked again: ‘He did?’

The Homeland chief replied: ‘Uh huh, yes.’  

Noem defenders were stunned by the heat she took from members of Congress during her appearance in the Senate this week.

‘He just kicked the teeth out of her,’ one insider said of Kennedy. ‘That came out of nowhere.’

Officials within DHS and ICE are celebrating the news of Noem’s departure, sources have revealed to the Daily Mail.

One DHS source told the Daily Mail staff that in the department’s headquarters are cheering the news: ‘Everyone is happy, lots of smiles.’

‘Morale had taken a hit. There’s a feeling among a lot of folks here that the department can finally reset and refocus on operations instead of internal turmoil.’

There’s also an expectation that Corey Lewandowski will follow her out the door. ‘He will go because he knows Mullin will toss him.’ It is unclear if the advisor will depart DHS along with the secretary.

Another DHS insider said Trump had been preparing to fire her for days, but that her performance Tuesday ‘gave him cover’ to do so immediately.

Meanwhile, an ICE official at the department’s headquarters told Daily Mail, ‘Crowds are celebrating. Lots of phone calls. Texts. People stopping by to celebrate.’

Noem faced huge backlash after her agents shot and killed two Americans – Renee Good and Alex Pretti – during immigration operations in Minnesota.

Trump moved quickly to replace her with border czar Tom Homan after she branded Pretti a ‘domestic terrorist’ in disastrous messaging.

Noem said that she had taken deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s line, a dangerous public statement given his senior standing in the administration. 

The White House grew tired of weekly stories of scandal and infighting, as Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles had long had enough of her theatrics.

‘It’s like who doesn’t she fight with,’ a source familiar told the Daily Mail.

Trump chose Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma partially to avoid a confrontational Senate confirmation process, one source told the Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail has broken multiple stories on Kristi Noem’s turbulent tenure as the Department of Homeland Security Secretary

Noem has been labeled as ‘ICE Barbie’ for myriad photoshoots showing Noem in full makeup, posing with guns and bulletproof vests

A source familiar with the matter said Trump settled on Mullin in part because he comes from a safe seat in heavily Republican Oklahoma and ‘looks good on television.’

‘This is super high-risk. The department is shut down,’ the source said. ‘They went to the reddest state in the union to replace her.’

Noem’s firing comes as the vast majority of the department remains shuttered due to a lapse in congressional funding. The source said Mullin could be the figure who gets DHS up and running again.