Kristi Noem spoke up Thursday after Donald Trump said he’s moving her out of the Homeland Security position and giving her a new diplomatic job focused on security in the Western Hemisphere.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Markwayne Mullin will be taking over as Homeland Security secretary starting March 31, 2026.
Noem quickly posted on X, thanking the president for the new opportunity and saying she’ll be taking on a new job as a special envoy for what the White House is calling the “Shield of the Americas,” a security initiative for the Western Hemisphere.
“Thank you @POTUS Trump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” Noem wrote on X. “I look forward to working closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren.”
She said the Western Hemisphere will be “absolutely critical for U.S. security,” and that this new job will be one where she can “expand partnerships” while “utilizing the expertise I developed during my 13 months running the Department of Homeland Security.”
Noem also praised her record while running Homeland Security, including border enforcement and other agency initiatives.
“We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again,” she wrote. “We delivered the most secure border in American history, three million illegal aliens have left the U.S., we have located 145,000 children, FEMA delivered disaster relief at a 100 percent faster rate, we ushered in the golden age of travel, saved the American taxpayer $13 billion, and revitalized the U.S. Coast Guard.”
Trump praised Noem’s work while announcing her new role and Mullin’s appointment.
“The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well and has had numerous and spectacular results, especially on the border, will be moving to be Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” Trump wrote.
Trump said that Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, is a strong supporter of his immigration and border policies.
“A MAGA warrior and former undefeated professional MMA fighter, Markwayne truly gets along well with people and knows the wisdom and courage required to advance our America First agenda,” Trump wrote.
Mullin, a former 10-year member of Congress before joining the Senate, would be the first Native American to helm DHS.
Further information on the Shield of the Americas will be announced on Saturday at an event in Doral.
The White House has not yet announced how this new special envoy role would be set up or how it would work with State and other agencies.
