Trump replaces Kristi Noem with Senator Mullin at Homeland Security
Noem had also lost the trust of many conservatives and of the president himself, who was particularly frustrated, according to White House sources, by his incessant prominence
from our correspondent Marco Valsania
NEW YORK - Donald Trump has ousted Kristi Noem, the controversial Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, the homeland security agency responsible for the aggressive operations of anti-immigration agents that culminated in the killing of two American citizens in Minneapolis. In his place, in office since 31 March, he appointed Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin. Noem had also lost the trust of many conservatives and of the president himself, who was particularly frustrated, according to White House sources, by his incessant prominence.
Trump announced on social media the changing of the guard, so rare during his second term that Noem is the first minister to lose office. He recalled that Noem 'achieved many spectacular results (especially on the borders)'. She added that she will now occupy a newly created position, becoming 'Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas', described as 'our new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere'. She did, however, put on a good face: "The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical to US security," she said, "In this new role I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security knowledge I have forged over the past 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security.
The coup de grace
In fact, the coup de grace for Noem, who has always been accused by critics of incompetence, was the performance during the auditions in Congress this week, first in the Senate on Tuesday. Criticism of Democrats for the violence of ICE agents and border guards in anti-immigrant raids followed, with images of the Minnesota tragedies still fresh. A reality that has earned her the nickname 'Ice Barbie' in the media, for her acknowledged attention to looks. It is precisely the look, or rather the style of government, that has also fuelled the hostility of many Republicans. Under indictment here is her personal style of government: first of all, a 200 million advertising campaign featuring her calling on those living illegally in the US to self-deport.
Noem claimed during the hearing, and in response to questions from Republican Senator John Kennedy of Lousiana, that the campaign had been endorsed by Trump. This was not the case: the president immediately summoned Noem's close adviser, former Trump campaign manager in 2016 Corey Lewandosky, for what was described as a tough discussion.
Decisions made in 'excessive' autonomy
Noem's recent missteps with the administration also include the decision to suspend fast-track security checks at airports in response to the blocking in parliament of the budget for his ministry in the absence of ICE reforms. A decision taken while keeping the White House in the dark and generating public protests and chaos. There are also rumours of an affair between her and Lewandosky and scandals over their use of a 737 Max luxury jet, complete with cabin and private bedroom, to tour the country. A jet bought for 70 million dollars.Her choice for the position had actually been accompanied by controversy from the start: in her biography she highlighted episodes such as having killed her own dog because it was reluctant to obey. However, she had so far resisted. She had also initially survived the crisis in Minneapolis: in recent days she had defended the decision to call the two defenceless American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by federal agents, domestic terrorists. To remedy the drama, Trump had sent his immigration czar Tom Homan, Noem's opponent and domestic critic, to the scene, but left her in charge.After long publicly protecting her, Trump has now changed course. Mullin, 49, is known for his combativeness, even in public, and Trump has called him out several times in the past after interviews the senator had given in which he had defended the president and his policies to the hilt. He was elected to the Senate in 2023. The Department of Homeland Security is among the largest in government.
