President Donald Trump abruptly fired Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security on Wednesday, accusing her of lying to Congress about a controversial $220 million advertising campaign that prominently featured the Cabinet official herself.
The dismissal, announced via social media, marks the second major Cabinet shake-up in as many months and comes at a particularly fraught moment for the department, which is grappling with heightened security concerns amid escalating tensions with Iran.
According to White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, Trump grew frustrated with Noem after she told lawmakers during a recent Senate hearing that the president had personally approved the massive publicity campaign. The ads, which featured Noem discussing border security initiatives, ran across multiple media platforms and drew sharp criticism from both Democrats and conservative watchdog groups who questioned whether taxpayer dollars were being used for self-promotion.
"She lied to Congress," Trump wrote in his announcement, according to The Independent. "I never approved that campaign. Not $220 million, not 220 dollars."
The president swiftly named Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, a Trump ally known for his hardline immigration stance, as Noem's replacement. The move requires Senate confirmation, though Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the chamber.
Congressional reaction split largely along partisan lines. Senator Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, issued a blistering statement referencing "Nuremberg 2.0," suggesting accountability would eventually come for what he called the administration's immigration enforcement practices. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers praised as a who would bring operational discipline to the sprawling department.




