Posted March 06, 2026
President Trump announced yesterday afternoon that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem would be reassigned to a new security initiative called The Shield of the Americas. While the move is not technically considered a demotion, the president’s frustrations with Noem have been growing for some time, with Tuesday’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee serving as the final straw.
Many had called for Trump to fire Noem for months, with her handling of ICE activity in Minnesota a particularly potent example of the ways in which she seemed ill-equipped for the job. After the shootings of both Renee Good and especially Alex Pretti, Noem blatantly mischaracterized what occurred, which further exacerbated an already tense situation. President Trump eventually removed her from the state and sent border czar Tom Homan in to settle things down.
However, her handling of ICE was not the only reason many have been calling for someone else to take over.
During the hearing, Noem was asked about spending nearly $300 million on private jets, misappropriating advertising funds, and rumors that she was having an affair with DHS “special government employee” Corey Lewandowski—a charge that she refused to deny while testifying under oath.
Her alleged relationship with Lewandowski is particularly important because he had come to play an outsized role in the department. As a special government employee, Lewandowski was only supposed to remain with DHS for 130 days, yet he has been a fixture around the office since the start of Trump’s second term.
Moreover, his authority has risen to the point that his approval is typically required for any purchases over $100,000. Noem denied that he had any part in approving contracts during the hearing, but his name usually appeared just before hers on the checklist.
However, Noem’s greatest sin in the administration’s eyes was attempting to lie about the president’s approval of a $220 million ad campaign that featured her as the focus.
During the hearing, Sen. John Kennedy asked Noem about the ad campaign, which was used largely to encourage illegal immigrants to self-deport. Noem repeatedly argued that the president knew about the campaign and signed off on Noem’s plans for it. However, that came as news to Trump.
And the president called Kennedy after the hearing to tell him so.
Ultimately, the hearing was the latest example of how, as one administration official described, “No one is talking about the most secure border ever. Just the [clown]show that is Noem and Corey.” As such, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that news began to circulate shortly thereafter that President Trump was quietly questioning congressional republicans about their thoughts on Noem, while also floating Sen. Markwayne Mullin as a potential replacement.
Yesterday afternoon, he made it official. While Mullin will still require Senate confirmation before he can start (Trump hopes to have him in the position by the end of the month), senators typically confirm other senators, and most expect his confirmation to go forward without much issue.
So, who is Markwayne Mullin, and what can we expect from his time as the head of DHS?
While Mullin is still serving his first term in the Senate, he spent ten years in the House of Representatives before running for the upper chamber. He currently serves on the Senate Armed Services, Appropriations, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Indian Affairs Committees.
Mullin was born and raised in Oklahoma and is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, making him the first Tribal citizen to serve in that role in nearly twenty years, and only the second Cherokee to ever hold the honor. He went to Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship before dropping out to help run the family plumbing business when his father grew ill. Mullin was also an undefeated professional MMA fighter for a time, retiring with a 5–0 record.
That particular set of skills was nearly put on display during a November 2023 hearing in which he challenged Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to a fight on the Senate floor. Sen. Bernie Sanders eventually got them to calm down, and the two have since become friends, with O’Brien praising the decision to appoint Mullin as DHS leader.
His most relevant qualification, however, could be the fact that he is close with the president.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune described Mullin as the “Senate whisperer” for Trump, often serving as a mediator between the White House and Congress. That he is close with the president does not mean they have always seen eye to eye, though.
On January 6, 2021, Mullin joined Rep. Troy Nehls in working with Capitol police to try to prevent rioters from entering the building. He later visited many of the law enforcement officers who were injured that day and cautioned the president against pardoning anyone who attacked police.
For the most part, though, he agrees with the administration’s agenda, and that is particularly the case when it comes to immigration. Whether that’s good or bad depends on your point of view, but his colleagues in the Senate—at least on the Republican side—seem to think he’s well-suited for the job and will “get things squared away quickly.”
Time will tell if they’re right, but it won’t be an easy task. For starters, DHS is still technically in a shutdown, and early signs suggest that a change in leadership will not be enough to get it reopened. Beyond the budget, roughly 60 percent of Americans disapprove of how ICE conducts its business. Turning that around won’t be easy, but the administration had to begin somewhere, and there’s a lesson in that truth for each of us today.
One of my favorite parts about the Bible is that even its heroes are typically portrayed as real people who struggle with real sins. There’s something encouraging about watching the individuals at the center of God’s plans try so hard to mess them up, only for the Lord to come through and put the pieces back together.
Whether it’s Gideon’s fear, David’s selfishness, Paul’s stubbornness, or any of the other sins that plague the people at the center of God’s story, it’s reassuring to know that he still has a plan and promises to redeem their mistakes when they truly repent. And starting with repentance is the key.
Seeking God’s forgiveness did not mean he absolved them of all the consequences of their sins, but in taking that first step of simply admitting their mistakes, they were able to experience restored communion with the Lord. And the same can be true for each of us today.
If you’re coming to God today burdened by the weight of your sin or struggling with the kind of habitual mistakes that make you feel as though you’re trapped without hope of escape, know that the Lord doesn’t expect you to be made perfect all at once. Recognizing where you’ve messed up, seeking God’s forgiveness, and then partnering with the Holy Spirit in pursuing holiness is a great place to begin.
Let’s start now.
“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” —Paul Boese
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