March 5, 2026

Noem ousted.

 Just now. The NYT reports.

President Trump fired his embattled homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, on Thursday and announced plans to replace her with Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, after she was grilled by Republican lawmakers this week at congressional hearings.... 
On Thursday, the president contradicted remarks that Ms. Noem made under penalty of perjury in her hearing before a Senate panel on Wednesday: that Mr. Trump had signed off ​on a border security advertising campaign featuring Ms. Noem. “I ​never knew anything about it,” ​Mr. Trump told Reuters....

Ms. Noem has faced scrutiny ​from lawmakers about the campaign, on which the government spent $220 million. The firm handling it was connected to the husband of Ms. Noem’s former spokeswoman. The ads prominently featured Ms. Noem, including in a scene filmed on horseback at Mount Rushmore in ​the former ​South ⁠Dakota governor’s home state....

ADDED:

What an awful ad! Whatever it cost.

66 comments:

rehajm said...

Part of the budget deal where Democrats get she goes, ICE leaves the illegals alone, Treasury funds the illegals and the NGOs until the census and the Republicans get…

rehajm said...

The Times story is the stuff they invent so they don’t really have to say why- art of the deal../

rehajm said...

…Republicans get…

mindnumbrobot said...

Those ads always did strike me as a bit odd.

AMDG said...

Good.

Under her watch an 80-20 issue was turned into a liability in an election year.

She should have been fired immediately after the incident where the pilot was fired for forgetting her blanket. Incompetence and bad management cannot be tolerated.

Limited blogger said...

Weird how unliked Kristi became.

mindnumbrobot said...

I anxiously await Jaq's explanation of how the Joos manipulated Trump into firing her.

RideSpaceMountain said...

Gander determines what's good for goose so pot won't call kettle black. News after weather.

Aggie said...

I'm seeing elsewhere that trump has said Noem ” will take over a new role called “Envoy for The Shield of the Americas.”

This is the meeting being held in Doral, planned for this weekend, of Central and South American leaders.

I wonder if Noem was paying too much attention to her image, and I wonder if she still has presidential ambitions. Not sure MarkWayne is the best choice, but we'll see.

Achilles said...

Why is the government "advertising" border security?

220 million?

Ice Nine said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Narr said...

Just shows the possibilities open to an almost-hot girl boss; and the dangers of huffing your own farts.

RideSpaceMountain said...

Basically we paid for clips that would be used in a future campaign ad. Deserved, but I'm curious how often and who else has done this, and if they can be fired too.

Ice Nine said...

Her cowgirl, Kevlar-vested SWAT team, military fatigue-garbed, etc cosplaying - but always in full glam for the cameras - got tiresome early on. Her judgement was questionable. She was a poor choice from the beginning. It's what you get when your top criteria for selecting cabinet members include being a "hottie" (supposedly, in her case) and being a FOX staffer or favorite.

And Trump is turning right around and doing the exact same thing again with Markwayne Mullin as her replacement.

narciso said...

By what standard

We reward the kamikazis

narciso said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
rehajm said...

…okay, so Republicans didn’t get anything they didn’t already have but but but…so shut up…

rehajm said...

This is why I’m voting for the furniture and appliance guy in the primary…

DINKY DAU 45 said...

Only the best, at least replaced with the fantastic butt kisser and tough guy. Only the best..What about poor Corey?More to be revealed..

Howard said...

Tom Homan is winning. That's actually great news.

rhhardin said...

Trump's strategy of appointing cabinet members based on bust size is not working out.

steve uhr said...

What happens to her lover?

D.D. Driver said...

$ 200 million has got to be a typo/fake news. That can't be real.

tim maguire said...

$220 million on advertising? What were they advertising?

Aught Severn said...

$ 200 million has got to be a typo/fake news. That can't be real.

How many Quality Learing Centers could have been opened instead. Think of the children!

john mosby said...

Way too many Republican female governors getting shafted for it not to be at least disparate impact. All the way back to Jane Swift in Mass.

On the other hand, Markwayne will make for great copy. I look forward to him challenging all and sundry to fights. More seriously, he seems like he will continue the immigration effort. CC, JSM

Oh Yea said...

Republicans can’t handle strong women

john mosby said...

On the other hand, Bovino of the Green Greatcoat was also pushed as far out of the way as you can do with a career employee, over similar image issues. And he even relied on press coverage, getting his mug out there for free! So perhaps it doesn't have anything to do with Noem's sex. CC, JSM

tommyesq said...

Remind me, did Biden or Obama ever fire anyone?

n.n said...

A pawn in a game of chess? Hopefully not.

john mosby said...

Biden fired himself. CC, JSM

tommyesq said...

Why is the government "advertising" border security?


They ran a whole bunch of ads promoting illegals to self-deport - would have the ability to re-enter the country legally, would get $2k for the trouble (or whatever the number was), would not get arrested, deported and permanently barred from re-entry. Based on some data, these ads appear to have been at least somewhat effective (although this is a different thing than whether Trump knew she was going to do it before the campaign was launched).

Gunner said...

Admitting the dog shooting story should have been enough to prove the woman was simple.

n.n said...

Trump is making Noem Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas

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, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida. I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

john mosby said...

Achilles: "Why is the government "advertising" border security?"

Because the MSM isn't going to, and only so many people watch Fox.

The ads have to be carried by networks and cable companies who may not have much love for the Administration.

Few things are as gratifying as watching a DHS commercial come up in the middle of Morning Joe, for example. RLTW, JSM

Disparity of Cult said...

Less cash this year for Easter gifts?

Caroline said...

She lost me when she showed up at CECOT prison in El Salvador wearing a ribbed tank top and tight fatigues, in front of hundreds of shaved-head Malo hombres.

Once written, twice... said...

Thank you, Trump, for ruining another right-wing Republican career. When will these fools realize that cozying up to Trump is a career deathwish?

Clyde said...

I read that it costs an average of over $17,000 to deport someone. DHS claimed that between 1.6 million and 1.9 million people self-deported; others claim that the number was substantially lower. If the DHS numbers are right, spending $220 million to get rid of more than 1.5 million illegals would be less than $300 apiece (plus the $1000 or $3000 that some of the illegals took to depart the country) would be a bargain compared to $17K. Even if the number self-deporting was just 1/10th of the total DHS claimed, we would still come out ahead.

Patrick said...

Noem is fit to be an internet influencer, not a cabinet level secretary.

Kakistocracy said...

kak·i·sto·cra·cy
“government by the least suitable or competent citizens of a
state.”

Long overdue. Never should have been appointed in the first place. Leave it to Trump to replace Noem with the dumbest US Senator.

Noem's DHS killed Americans, stole their property, deported the wrong people, siphoned taxpayer money to her political allies, defied court orders, and ferried her aide/lover on taxpayer-funded jets. What does Corey Lewandowski do now?

The stock market is tanking, gas prices are spiking, the DHS Secretary was just fired for lying under oath to Congress, prices keep rising, Trump refuses to refund tariffs despite a Supreme Court decision, and we're embroiled in another war in the Middle East.

When does the winning start?

john mosby said...

Caroline: "She lost me when she showed up at CECOT prison in El Salvador wearing a ribbed tank top and tight fatigues, in front of hundreds of shaved-head Malo hombres."

No, that's the best thing to do to those traffickers and rapists: show them that a woman, and a hot one at that, is responsible for their defeat.

Maybe we can sell her ads to El Sal, to be dubbed in Spanish and played on a loop in CECOT to keep reminding those guys they were done in by a girl. CC, JSM

Mark said...

"Few things are as gratifying as watching a DHS commercial come up in the middle of Morning Joe, for example. "

Mosby no longer gets to complain about the cost of government, if this is a worth spend of $220 million. JFC

Rabel said...

"Revenge is a dish best served cold"

- Cricket

Mark said...

ICE Barbie probably shouldn't have tried to throw Trump under the bus.

Having to repeatedly deny she isn't having sex with Corey Lewandowski probably doesn't help, nor did firing the pilot (who they had to immediately retire as he was their only way home)

bagoh20 said...

"Remind me, did Biden or Obama ever fire anyone?"

If you keep the bar low enough you never have to.

john mosby said...

Well, per Clyde's calculation, it's less than $300 per self-deport. And if you look at it in a per-eyeball cost, probably quite low.

And getting the information straight to the people: Priceless. CC, JSM

RCOCEAN II said...

Trump must be taking stupid pills. Next stop - making up with Mitch McConnell and making Susan Collins his chief of staff.

RCOCEAN II said...

Trump has always been stupid on personnel issues. Surrounded himself with backstabbers and traitors in his 1st term. Now he's attacking Iran, going TACO on the ICE raids, endorsing Miss Lindsey and Cornyn, and now firing Kristie Noem. Surprised he didn't Lankford or Tillis the DHS Secretary. RFK jr. had better watch his back.

n.n said...

that's the best thing to do to those traffickers and rapists: show them that a woman, and a hot one at that, is responsible for their defeat.

Perfect. Acute optics.

Dude1394 said...

Politics kinda sucks. I’d vote for her in a minute over any democrat communist or Cornyn, Graham, McConnell, tillis, thune, etc. But cutting losses is tough to do.

Iman said...

Stay away from Noem’s South Dakota gravel pit, Dinky Dau! She’s in no mood to deal with mutts today.

Bob Boyd said...

She embarrassed her master and spoiled the hunt...so Trump took her to the gravel pit. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.
The ghost of Cricket is positively howling.

Wince said...

Is that $200 million for that ad? Or the entire DHS advertising campaign?

On Thursday, the president contradicted remarks that Ms. Noem made under penalty of perjury in her hearing before a Senate panel on Wednesday: that Mr. Trump had signed off ​on a border security advertising campaign featuring Ms. Noem. “I ​never knew anything about it,” ​Mr. Trump told Reuters.

Was Trump asked about that particular ad or the entire DHS advertising campaign?

Dave Begley said...

"Don't outshine your boss." Baltasar Gracian, S.J., 1467.

Bob Boyd said...

It was a campaign ad for Kristi Noem. Totally inappropriate self-promotion. What the hell was she thinking? And why so expensive? It looks like AI.
South Dakota is not sending its best.

Bob Boyd said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lawlizard said...

Did Thune just pull a primary challenger?

Kakistocracy said...

“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” ~ Steve Jobs

I make sure I hire people who are dumber than me to make me look good. ~ Donald Trump

tommyesq said...

I make sure I hire people who are dumber than me to make me look good. ~ Donald Trump

Fake quote, Trump said no such thing. Typical Kak.

Narr said...

They say that if you want a friend in DC, get a dog, but she's already screwed the pooch.

Kakistocracy said...

Noem’s firing could have a chilling effect on cabinet members’ ability to award nine-figure no-bid contracts to their cronies.

Mark said...

Clyde must be stupid if he thinks that ad causes people to self deport.

narciso said...

https://x.com/i/status/2029638583154327848

Mason G said...

"Fake quote, Trump said no such thing. Typical Kak."

Give him a break, he was probably thinking of Joe Biden picking Kamala Harris. Or Kamala Harris picking Tim Walz.

gadfly said...

Senator John Kennedy, channeling Foghorn Leghorn as always, attacked Noem over a $220 million ad campaign that Kennedy found only “effective in your name recognition.” DHS spent nearly a quarter of a billion dollars on commercials of Noem herself telling migrants to leave the country against the backdrop of Mount Rushmore. In a curious twist, that money was funneled through a company created just 11 days before it won the contract.

In this week's committee hearing, Noem declared that Trump had approved all of the advertising in advance and made him look bad.

Looks like Trump is patting ICE Barbie on the head with an appointment to a newly made-up role, “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” whatever that’s supposed to be.

No legislation exists to support the creation of this job or its budget, any more than exists for Trump’s war on Iran.

Corey Lewandowski will be losing his quarters at the Navy Yard as well, and his place in her special bed in the DHS jet.

Trump appointed Markwayne Mullin, a seated senator from Oklahoma and widely labeled one of the stupidest members of the GOP caucus, to replace Noem at DHS.

Markwayne Mullin really did need to get out of the Senate. Tommy Tuberville is running for governor of Alabama, and he’s the only thing standing between Mullin and the title of dumbest U.S. Senator. Mullin is a former MMA fighter who once tried to fight a Teamsters union president during a Senate hearing. Recently,

Mullin appeared on CNN and struggled to explain how Iran could be rebuilding nuclear facilities that Trump had supposedly “obliterated.” When pressed three times on the logical contradiction, Mullin compared it to rebuilding a house after a tornado. This is a fair analogy as long as you accept that thermonuclear devices are roughly as complex as a double-wide trailer.

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