EXCLUSIVE: Inside Kristi Noem’s Final Weeks Leading DHS
Outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s final weeks on the job were tumultuous — and the White House wasn’t the only place where grievances piled up, insiders told the Daily Caller.
Trump announced Thursday on Truth Social that he was replacing Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin and would give her a new role as special envoy for the Americas Shield. The shakeup follows a tense Senate hearing and a flurry of media coverage over Noem’s alleged infidelity and her handling of the department.
“It wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of when,” a source briefed on the situation told the caller.
A source briefed on the matter and an administration official told the Caller that Noem was forced out because of what they described as “unfortunate failures of leadership,” including “the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, allegations of infidelity, mismanagement of her staff and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE,” the administration official said.
The source briefed on the matter told the caller that there were factions in the White House that disliked Noem and Corey Lewandowski — a special government employee who news reports linked romantically to Noem. The tension, according to the source, appears to stem from the 2024 election, when Lewandowski attempted to have Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita fired.
“There were major differences between the two groups,” the source said.
A second administration official objected to that characterization, saying Noem and Lewandowski’s relationship with the White House has always been “cordial and respectful.”
THANKS @POTUS Trump for appointing me special envoy for the Shield of the Americas. @SecRubio And @SecWar are incredible leaders and I look forward to working closely with them to dismantle the cartels that have been bringing drugs into our country and killing our children and…
– Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 5, 2026
The second official said that late last year, Noem told Trump and his White House that she was not getting the support she needed. Trump agreed and stepped in to help, the official said, and conditions improved — until Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.
The DHS immigration crackdown has drawn protests and condemnation from Minnesota officials and involved two agent-involved shootings that left two Americans dead.
Noem felt like she was thrown under the bus after the situation in Minneapolis, the second administration official told the caller.
“It is laughable that Kristi would try to blame someone else for her self-inflicted problems. The problems that led to Kristi’s replacement were the result of her own wrongdoing, not a lack of support from the White House,” the first official said.
Reports have pointed to Noem’s congressional hearings — where she said the president knew about her $220 million DHS ad campaign — as the nail in the coffin.
The ad campaign — a border security media buy featuring Noem — gained attention after reports that DHS used “emergency” justifications at the border to bypass the normal bidding process. A consulting firm linked to Noem was quietly paid through subcontracting deals, according to reports.
The second administration official told the caller that the White House was aware of Noem’s advertising deal and said senior White House officials were even involved in approving the funds. The top administration official disputed that assertion, saying the president was unaware of it. Trump told Reuters he was not aware of it.
“There was not a single member [of Congress] I’m not defending it at all,” a source familiar with the matter told the Caller, adding that lawmakers viewed the ad campaign as self-serving and were unimpressed with the efforts. (RELATED: John Kennedy Holds Kristi Noem’s Feet to Shoot Over Expensive Ad Campaign)
I look forward to working with Kristi Noem as Special Envoy for the Americas Shield – our new 13-country security initiative.
Kristi has achieved incredible results as Secretary of Homeland Security and will be a tremendous asset to our efforts to promote…
– Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 5, 2026
Noem will report to Secretary Marco Rubio in her new position. The administration is expected to soon announce its new Western Hemisphere security initiative.
The second administration official said Rubio and Hegseth respected Noem — a key reason she was reassigned rather than ousted altogether.
While relations between Noem and the White House remain strained, the second official pointed to the fact that she has not been outright kicked out of the administration as proof that there is still appreciation and respect for the former South Dakota governor.
Noem was on stage in Nashville at the Big Cities Conference when Trump released his Truth Social ad. The second administration official said Noem had known since last week that she was being replaced.
The official added that Trump wanted to announce the new Western Hemisphere security initiative on Saturday, which contributed to Thursday’s decision to formally reassign Noem.
“Anyone close to the situation could see this coming,” the source briefed on the matter told the caller.
DHS did not immediately respond to The Daily Caller’s request for comment.
