Featured Image Credit: Mandel NGAN and Drew ANGERER / AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Immigration, Politics
Phoebe Tonks
Topics: Donald Trump, Immigration, Politics
Kristi Noem has officially been fired as Donald Trump's homeland security secretary, after what a government source termed a disastrous string of ‘unfortunate leadership failures’.
The president shared the news on Thursday March 5, when he announced on social media that Noem’s role would be taken over by Markwayne Mullin, a senator from Oklahoma, in just three short weeks time.
While being sacked might lead one to believe there is some animosity between the pair, Trump seemed to bear her no ill will and pointed out that Noem would still be retaining a position in his administration as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.
He even went on to praise her ‘numerous and spectacular results’ in the role she was being subsequently let go from.
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Yet while Trump could be seen to be remarkably charitable with his words, a White House official said that her dismissal was entirely down to poor performance.
Speaking to NBC News, the official said the decision boiled down to ‘a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures.’
Noem is now the first cabinet secretary to have been let go from her position during Trump’s second term, with her departure coming just weeks after she sparked outrage by calling the actions of Renee Good in Minnesota an ‘act of domestic terrorism’ after she was shot dead by ICE agents.
Just two weeks later, Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, was also shot dead in the same city by Border Patrol agents.
Even more recently, she also came under fire during last week’s Congress hearings, when even her fellow Republicans turned on her, particularly over a $220m ad campaign she appeared in that encouraged people in the US illegally to leave voluntarily.
According to Noem, Trump was well aware of the campaign in advance, yet he contradicted this during a subsequent interview which indicated he was unaware.
Additionally, ‘allegations of infidelity’ have also emerged, which will likely not sit well with the MAGA fanbase.
Congressional hearings this week touched on these allegations when Noem was asked directly if she had had ‘sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski’ - Mr Trump's former campaign manager.
Noem dismissed the claims as ‘tabloid garbage’ and denied the allegation against her.
Yet it was this culmination of bad decisions and poor press, that prompted Noem being shown the door, claims the official, as they added: "Kristi's drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration's extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force.”
Since the news was announced, many have welcomed Noem’s firing as long overdue, including Hakeem Jeffries, who leads the Democrats in the House of Representatives.
Having already branded her as ‘deeply unqualified, unhinged, out-of-control, pathological liar who repeatedly abused her power', he went on to add: ”She was a complete and total disaster.
“We made clear weeks ago that Kristi Noem must be fired or she would face impeachment. Her well-deserved termination is long overdue, consistent with what we have demanded."