By: Jane Wilde

Humor Editor

Although she helped fulfill President Trump’s border pledges, Trump fired Kristi Noem on Mar. 5 from the head of Homeland Security position for drawing negative attention to the administration and for her overall handling of the immigration initiative. He has selected Markwayne Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, to take her place. Noem previously served as South Dakota’s governor during the height of the pandemic and as a U.S. congresswoman for four terms before becoming the head of Homeland Security. She is now embarking on the role of Special Envoy for the Shield of America’s Western Hemisphere, a position Trump created for her.

The White House told NBC News that Trump revoked her title because of “a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including Custons and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).” The administration proceeded to claim her “drama” distracted U.S. citizens from their immigration mission. Fellow Homeland Security officials support Trump’s decision, describing it as “long overdue” and stating that she “paid the price” for allegedly exploiting the position for personal gain.

The media scrutinized Noem for many things throughout her time as head of Homeland Security, one of which was a 220 million dollar ad campaign that suggested people leave the country on their own. Noem told Republican Senator John Kennedy that Trump approved the ad; however, the president later told Reuters News that he knew nothing about it. Additionally, she faced immense criticism following the fatal shootings of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti, after describing them as “domestic terrorists.” Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, wrote “Good Riddance” on social media regarding Noem’s discharge from the Homeland Security Department. 

Another criticism that led to her demise was her recent defense of an anecdote made in her latest book, where she claimed that she killed her family dog because it was “un-trainable” and “less than worthless.” Something that was intended to showcase her ability to make tough decisions was perceived as a heartless and cruel act, drawing negative attention to the administration, ultimately resulting in her termination. 

  Trump announced that he gave Noem a new role as the Special Envoy for the Shield of America’s Western Hemisphere. Soon after, Noem went to X to write: “In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security.” Her new job focuses on eradicating cartels and overall management of migration in the Western hemisphere. 

(Sources: AP, CNN, NBC, NYT)