In a move that combined political satire with a touch of humor, California Governor Gavin Newsom took aim at Kristi Noem through a mocking video tribute. Following her dismissal from her position as head of Homeland Security by President Trump, Newsom released a video that humorously memorialized Noem’s tenure.

The video was set to the poignant tune of Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You,” a song often associated with emotional advertisements for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This choice of music added a layer of irony to the video, given Noem’s controversial admission of having killed her puppy.

Throughout the video, Noem is depicted in a series of striking images: she is shown in a cowboy hat and Western attire, outfitted in full combat gear with goggles, elegantly dressed with a sun hat and pearl earrings, sporting a Customs and Border Protection cap with flowing hair, and finally, dressed in nurses’ scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck.

The video, which gradually fades to black, concludes with the phrase, “It was the worst of times,” followed by Newsom’s tongue-in-cheek caption, “Gone, but not forgotten.” This satirical nod to Noem’s political journey underscores the ever-evolving landscape of political discourse.

‘In memoriam. Kristi Noem. 2025-2026,’ the images were captioned.

The clip then fades to black and eventually reads: ‘It was the worst of times.’ 

‘Gone, but not forgotten,’ wrote Newsom of the video.   

Noem wrote in her 2024 book that she gunned down her own dog – and a family goat – in an effort to show she’s capable of dealing with anything that’s ‘difficult, messy and ugly.’ 

Newsom’s account also posted a photoshop job of Noem at an unemployment office.

Noem could be seen in the produced image filling out paperwork with a sign behind her reading ‘MAGA unemployment line.’ 

Gavin Newsom brutally trolled Kristi Noem after Donald Trump fired her with a reference to the former South Dakota governor having killed a dog, publishing an in memoriam-styled video with the dates of her role as Secretary of Homeland Security

The liberal California governor, who has admitted to having presidential ambitions, posted a video set to ‘I Will Remember You’ by Sarah McLachlan after Noem was ousted

Newsom also bashed Noem’s replacement, speaking out against the appointment of ‘unstable’ Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullen.

‘Markwayne Mullin could not remember if we were at war THIS WEEK. His state has one of the highest crime rates in the country — with a murder rate 40% higher than California’s,’ he said.

‘This erratic, unstable man is now in charge of HOMELAND SECURITY.’ 

Trump fired Noem and announced Mullin will replace her Thursday, marking the first Cabinet-level termination of his second term.

The ‘last straw’ came when Noem told Senator John Kennedy under oath that she’d been given Trump’s approval for a $220million taxpayer-funded campaign designed to boost her national profile. 

She testified that the multi-million dollar ad campaign was signed off on by the President when pressed by Congress under oath this week. ‘I ​never knew anything about it,’ he told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.

The Daily Mail has broken multiple stories on Noem’s turbulent tenure as the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, ranging from her handling of the deaths of two Americans in Minneapolis at the hands of DHS agents, her lavish spending and rumored extramarital affair.

Newsom’s trolling continued, with his press account posting a photoshop job of Noem at an unemployment office

Noem has been under heavy scrutiny for her alleged affair with her top advisor, Corey Lewandowski. Both Noem and Lewandowski have denied the affair. 

Later on Thursday, Trump announced that Senator Mullin of Oklahoma would be nominated to become the next DHS Secretary. Mullin’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment. 

‘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 posted on Truth Social.

‘The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!),’ Trump wrote. She will now become Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a new White House security initiative, the President added. 

The President lauded Mullin for his Native American roots and claimed the Senator ‘will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security’.

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 that staff 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 Lewandowski will follow her out the door. ‘He will go because he knows Mullin will toss him,’ the source added. 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 on Tuesday ‘gave him cover’ to do so immediately.

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

The governor is also already hellbent against Noem’s replacement, speaking out against Trump’s appointment of ‘unstable’ Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullen (pictured)

A Senate panel grilled Noem about the ad campaign and the process through which the money was allocated for it. 

Noem told lawmakers on Tuesday that there was ‘a competitive process’ to award the contract for the campaign and that it was ‘all done correctly, all done legally’.

One of the ads cut from the $220million project showed Noem wearing a cowboy hat, riding a horse in front of Mt. Rushmore. 

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

They expected confrontation from Sen. Thom Tillis, who is a Trump critic on his way out after announcing he would not run for reelection. 

They did not expect confrontation from Republican Senator Kennedy, who publicly berated Noem.

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

Insiders familiar with the situation heard that at the very least Lewandowski would be out by this weekend, but that could be moot if both of them would be out in weeks.

On paper, Lewandowski is a special government employee, so it’s easy to force him out on a timeline basis.

However, Lewandowski denied he was leaving just yet to reporters following Noem’s firing. 

Noem’s ouster marks the first Cabinet-level firing of Trump’s second term. 

The President previously removed Michael Waltz as national security advisor to ambassador to the UN, though that reassignment was not at the Cabinet level. 

DHS did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment. 

Trump’s announcement that Mullin will replace Noem immediately garnered support from lawmakers. 

‘I’m not sure how many fellow Democrats will vote to support our colleague [Senator Mullin] as the next DHS Secretary, but I am AYE,’ Democratic Senator John Fetterman posted on X.   

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina reacted: ‘President Trump could not have chosen a better candidate to be Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security than Senator Markwayne Mullin.

‘He is one of the most knowledgeable people I know regarding how to protect America. Markwayne is an outstanding choice and I hope he gets the overwhelmingly bipartisan vote that he deserves.’