More Circus Shows – “Pissed” Trump Fires Kristi Noem, Replaces With Markwayne Mullin

Aaaaaand, she’s gone… Moments ago Bloomberg reported that Trump has named Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to replace Noem.

President Donald Trump is preparing to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem amid growing frustration over her self-promotional leadership style and bruising congressional testimony this week, according to multiple reports.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) described Trump as “pissed,” according to NBC News.

Trump’s dissatisfaction has intensified following Noem’s appearance Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she faced sharp bipartisan criticism over her handling of department matters, including a high-profile advertising initiative, the Wall Street Journal reports.

An unnamed adviser to Trump described the hearing as particularly damaging, highlighting widespread discontent with her stewardship of the agency, the Journal said.

A key point of contention has been Noem’s decision to allocate approximately $200 million for a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign urging undocumented immigrants to self-deport, with promotional materials prominently featuring the secretary herself. White House aides said the president had long viewed the effort as overly self-promotional.

During the hearing, Noem claimed that Trump had approved the campaign in advance – a claim that drew further ire from the president, who has told advisers and others that he did not sign off on it.

Adding to the tensions, Noem was grilled Wednesday by House Judiciary Committee members over rumors of a romantic relationship with Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Trump ally who serves as an unpaid adviser at the department.

The Daily Mail has reported that Noem and Lewandowski, both married, have been engaged in an extramarital affair – a claim they have repeatedly denied.

In a heated exchange, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) point blank asked Noem under oath if she was engaged in sexual relations with Lewandowski. 

A furious Noem refused to directly answer, calling the question “tabloid garbage” and “offensive.” When pressed further, she reiterated that it was “garbage.”

get a load of Kristi Noem's facial expressions as Rep. Kamlager-Dove enters articles in the congressional record with headlines like, "Lewandowski taking out trash at Noem's DC home" and "ICE Barbie's mile high private chamber with alleged lover exposed" pic.twitter.com/FGRMdZ6K3I

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 5, 2026

Meanwhile, NBC News reports Trump has begun soliciting suggestions from aides and Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill for potential successors. Among the names that have surfaced in White House conversations are Republican Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Steve Daines (R-MT),who announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection, according to NBC News.

Noem made headlines last week when she claimed that DHS staffers had installed spyware on her phone and computer, as well as on devices belonging to other political appointees.

“You wouldn’t even believe what I’ve found since I’ve been in this department,” Noem told conservative podcaster Patrick Bet-David.

Noem said she discovered the spyware last year with the assistance of former DOGE chief Elon Musk and his team.
Noem then told Bet-David that the secret files were turned over to attorneys for review.

The DHS secretary went on to say she has seen “eye-opening” data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the National Laboratories regarding the scientists who traveled to the infamous Wuhan Institute of Virology in China to conduct gain-of-function experiments on coronaviruses.

“It was eye-opening,” she said.