Donald Trump fires controversial homeland security secretary Kristi Noem

Donald Trump fires controversial homeland security secretary Kristi Noem
US President Donald Trump has fired Kristi Noem, his controversial homeland security secretary, amid a public backlash over the White House’s mass deportation efforts and allegations that she misused public funds.

Noem’s firing marks the first major shake-up to the president’s cabinet since he took office last January.

Trump announced the move on Thursday afternoon in a post to his Truth Social platform, saying Noem had “served us well” and “had numerous spectacular results”. He said Noem would take on a new role as “special envoy for the shield of the Americas”, a White House security initiative.

Trump said he would nominate Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin as Noem’s replacement to run the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees a number of government agencies, including Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

DHS also has oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the US Coast Guard and the Secret Service.

The department is currently subject to a partial shutdown after Democratic lawmakers refused to keep funding its agencies to protest the administration’s heavy-handed immigration enforcement tactics.

Trump had faced mounting pressure to fire Noem over her handling of the White House’s mass deportation efforts as well as swirling allegations about her chaotic leadership style and suggestions that she had misspent public funds.

The 54-year-old former South Dakota governor stoked controversy for more than a year with her bombastic rhetoric and flashy public appearances, including a photo shoot at a notorious prison in El Salvador in which she posed in front of inmates wearing a Rolex watch.

Noem faced increased political pressure as the American public soured on the administration’s mass deportation efforts.

In January, Trump defended her amid widespread calls for her resignation after federal immigration officers shot and killed two US citizens in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time, the president said Noem was “doing a very good job”.