Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem may soon be out of a job, according to news reports that suggest President Donald Trump is looking for new leadership of his mass deportation efforts. The timing of Noem’s potential departure is not clear.
Politico cited interviews with 17 people, including administration officials, in reporting that Noem may be about to leave her post. And the conservative news site The Bulwark quoted former Department of Homeland Security officials as saying Trump could replace Noem “really soon,” although they cautioned that the president could change his mind.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
In an interview with Nexstar Media Group, Noem denied rumors of her imminent departure.
“No, I don’t have any indication of that,” she said. “The president is fantastic. I am very proud every single day to be able to work for him.”
“I will serve at the president’s pleasure,” she added.
Speculation circulates
CNN first reported in November that Noem and a handful of other Cabinet secretaries could lose their positions in a shakeup after the first year of the Trump administration.
The Bulwark reported that while Trump is happy with Noem, senior White House officials are frustrated with her performance and her employment of one-time Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as her top adviser. Lewandowski told The Bulwark that “none of that is true.”
One source close to the administration told Politico that if Noem leaves, she wouldn’t be fired. Rather, it would be a “graceful” exit, allowing Noem to claim success in her one-year tenure.
Politico reported that Noem’s regular on-screen appearances have irritated some Trump advisers, who see her as unserious and too focused on her political future.
“She’s not doing this so she can get a cushy job on Fox News when she leaves,” an administration official told Politico. “Her best shot is to get out on the campaign trail now, start lining up endorsements from governors and then use that to negotiate a role in the next administration — secretary of state, vice president.”
Politico said two officials close to the administration named Fox News contributor and former Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who leaves office next month, as potential successors.
White House denies claims
Publicly, Noem is maintaining support from the administration. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called reports of Noem’s potential departure “fake.”
“Secretary Noem is doing a great job implementing the president’s agenda and making America safe again,” she said. “Reports of her departing are Fake News. President Trump, Secretary Noem, and [border czar] Tom Homan are all on the same page when it comes to implementing the President’s agenda, and the results speak for themselves — the border is secure and deportations continue to increase.”
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller also touted Noem’s efforts, saying he’s “thrilled with the job Secretary Noem is doing.” He added that her “track record as secretary of Homeland Security has been nothing short of extraordinary.”
Noem’s actions thus far
Since taking over the agency early this year, Noem has been at the center of Trump’s domestic and immigration policies, receiving praise from both the president and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
She’s been the face of Trump’s plans to deport millions of immigrants who are living in the U.S. without authorization. It was Noem who recently made the call to allow a flight of over 100 men to take off to El Salvador, a decision questioned by a federal judge who has ordered a top Department of Justice attorney to take the witness stand and explain why the flight took off in violation of a court order.
Noem has also been a regular commentator on National Guard deployments nationwide, defending them and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents amid protests.
