Kristi Noem’s departure from the Department of Homeland Security was barely announced when a Democrat stepped up in support of her successor. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman swiftly endorsed his Senate colleague Markwayne Mullin for the DHS leadership role, sparking outrage among fellow Democrats who are increasingly frustrated with Fetterman’s maverick tendencies. “I’m not sure how many fellow Democrats will vote to support our colleague @SenMullin as the next DHS Secretary, but I am AYE,” Fetterman shared on the social media platform X.

Reacting to Fetterman’s stance, Democratic Strategist Matt McDermott expressed his disapproval by commenting, “This is so embarrassing, man. Just resign.” Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized Mullin, labeling him as “erratic” and “unstable,” pointing out Mullin’s forgetfulness about whether the country was at war “THIS WEEK.” Newsom further noted that Mullin’s state suffers from one of the highest crime rates nationwide, with a murder rate 40% higher than California’s. He also referenced Mullin’s past behavior, such as attempting to physically confront union workers during a hearing, telling them to “shut your mouth,” and his controversial statement during a Senate hearing on race, saying, “I don’t want reality,” in a post shared on X.

Sam Stein, a political journalist and editor at The Bulwark, as well as an MSNOW commentator, remarked, “For a senator who has put a fair bit of his career advocating for DACA recipients, you’d think he’d at least pose some questions before committing to a vote.” Recently, Fetterman has navigated a complex path regarding immigration, voicing support for ICE agents by saying they are “just doing their job, and I fully support that,” while simultaneously criticizing Democrats who “treat them as criminals.”

The President lauded Mullin for his Native American roots and claimed the Senator ‘will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security’. Fetterman was the only Democrat to join Republicans in a 51-45 vote on Thursday afternoon to fund the DHS, which is currently facing a lapse in funding. 60 votes were needed to pass the measure, as with all spending bills.

The lapse in DHS funding has now hit 20 days, and there’s an increased risk of terror threats due to the war in Iran. The majority of House Democrats also voted against funding DHS on Thursday afternoon in their chamber, with representatives Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington joining Republicans to pass the bill, 221 to 209.