President Donald Trump announced Kristi Noem was being removed from the position of Secretary of Homeland Security in a Truth Social post on Thursday.
This comes after months of controversy including the Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The President announced that he was replacing Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma.
“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),” Trump wrote, adding, “I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.’”
Trump noted that Noem’s change would become effective March 31, and she’d be taking on the role of special envoy for the Western Hemisphere. Here’s all you need to know about the new DHS Secretary.
Markwayne Mullin: 5 things to know
- Mullin is a successful business owner and working cow calf rancher. He served for 10 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- He was born in Westville, and lives on his family ranch to this day. Mullin is married to Christie, for 28 years, and the couple have six children together – Jayce, Jim, Andrew, Larra, Ivy, and Lynette.
- Mullin graduated from Stilwell High School and attended Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship till he was 20. When his father fell ill, Mullin and Christie, who he was not married to at the time, postponed studies and decided to save Mullin Plumbing, the family business. The two went on to expand it to become the largest service company in that region. They also founded other companies like Mullin Environmental and Rowan’s Steakhouse. Mullin eventually completed his education in 2010, with a degree in Applied Science in Construction Technology from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. He also has an honorary doctorate from Bacone College which he got in 2018.
- Mullin is an enrolled member of Cherokee Nation and is the first Tribal Citizen to serve in the US Senate in almost 20 years, and the second ever Cherokee Nation citizen to serve in the chamber.
- Mullin interestingly is a former undefeated Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, who holds a 5-0 win record. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.
As a Senator, Mullin serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Appropriations Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee; and the Indian Affairs Committee.
Noem’s change comes after she faced bipartisan rebukes during the congressional hearings. Trump was reportedly upset with Noem for telling the lawmakers that he had signed off on about $200 million advertising campaign, which showed herself urging migrants to self-deport, Bloomberg reported, citing a source.
This marks the first time Trump has changed a member of his Cabinet, during the second term.
