The display of a Rolex in a famous prison in El Salvador. A self-promotional advertising campaign for mass deportations. The persistent story of his dog’s murder.
Kristi Noem never seemed able, or particularly interested, to step out of the spotlight during her time leading the Department of Homeland Security. But even for a White House familiar with political crises, Noem’s streak of controversies, handling of government funding and showmanship might have proven too much for President Donald Trump.
On Thursday, Trump announced on social media that he was firing Noem and had selected Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to replace her. The decision capped a rocky two-year stint for the former South Dakota governor, in which she went from a vice presidential contender to the first Cabinet member to be ousted during Trump’s second term in the White House.
Under Noem’s leadership, the Department of Homeland Security made progress on some of Trump’s key campaign promises, including his effort to bring illegal crossings at the southern border to historic lows.
President Donald Trump with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks to reporters upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Washington, shortly after midnight on July 4, 2025. The homeland security secretary, who was fired by President Donald Trump on Thursday, March 5, helped deliver on his border promises but also brought negative attention to his administration. (Credit: Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)
“The American people and our posterity are better off today, tomorrow, and for generations to come because of Secretary Noem’s dedication to public service,” the department posted on social media Thursday.
Noem wrote Thursday on social platform X that “we have made historic achievements at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again.”
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But a series of episodes throughout his tenure also sparked frustration among Trump allies and some White House officials.
Here are key moments in the rise and fall of Kristi Noem.
Spring 2024: The beginning of Noem’s political evolution
Noem seemed to be on the cusp of a major transformation.
After Republicans suffered losses in the 2022 midterm elections, he told The New York Times that he did not believe Trump offered “the best opportunity” for the party in 2024.
But then she worked to curry favor with him, deploying the National Guard to the border and endorsing him ahead of many other Republican governors. She was front and center in an ad promoting her cosmetic dental work that some saw as a move to get Trump’s attention, even as it drew legal scrutiny. She was widely seen as a possible choice for vice president.
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But he received criticism from several political figures when he defended a story in his autobiography in which he killed a family dog on their farm, much to the distress of his daughter. Noem wrote that she hoped to train the dog Cricket to hunt pheasants, but that he proved “untrainable” and “less than useless” as a hunting dog. “I hated that dog,” Noem wrote.
The story, which he highlighted to demonstrate his leadership skills and his ability to make difficult decisions, struck some people as unnecessarily cruel and cast a shadow on his tenure.
March 2025: A self-promotion approach to leading DHS
The Trump administration had just used a wartime law to deport hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to a prison in El Salvador. Noem wanted to see the facility for herself and wanted to make sure her presence was noticed.
Noem toured the prison, known for its harsh conditions, wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement logo. He was also wearing a gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona that sells for around $50,000. Noem filmed a video during the tour in front of rows of prisoners packed into bunks behind bars.
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It was one of many photos that sparked ridicule on social media and among ICE and Border Patrol bases. Agents objected to her choice to show up to immigration operations in campaign gear, accusing her of cosplaying, such as in an episode in Phoenix in which her bulletproof vest appeared to be improperly secured. Some agents used derogatory names for her, such as “ICE Barbie.”
June 2025: DHS funding bottleneck
Noem faced backlash for her handling of the Department of Homeland Security’s non-immigration missions, including the awarding of grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Trump had already raised concerns about the future of disaster relief when he mulled closing FEMA. But last June, Noem approved a rule requiring her approval for any spending over $100,000.
Noem was slow to approve new spending requests, including projects considered crucial to national security. The policy also created a backlog of FEMA spending requests, including a contract that would provide inspections of approximately 6 million disaster-damaged homes. And the $100,000 requirement delayed FEMA’s response to catastrophic flooding in Central Texas.
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June 2025: Senator is handcuffed at Noem event
Noem was holding a news conference at a federal building in Los Angeles when Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., interrupted and began questioning mugshots displayed behind the secretary.
Padilla, an outspoken critic of Trump’s deportation policies, was led out of the room by federal agents and handcuffed.
“Sir! Sir! Hands off!” Padilla said as officers surrounded him.
Padilla later said in an interview that he wanted answers about the administration’s “increasingly extreme” immigration actions and had been unable to get them. Democrats denounced the treatment of Padilla as an escalation in what they said were authoritarian-style actions by Trump and Noem.
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Noem later told reporters that she spoke with Padilla after the incident and that they had a “great conversation.”
June 2025: Empowerment of a passionate new official: Gregory Bovino
After protests erupted in Los Angeles following an immigration operation, Noem tapped a little-known border official to take charge of policing the region.
Gregory Bovino, head of the El Centro sector of the border that divides California and Mexico, would direct immigration operations in Southern California. Soon, images of agents chasing immigrants through car washes and parking lots became ubiquitous online. American citizens were being caught in the net and accusations of racial discrimination were rampant.
The decision to allow the Border Patrol to conduct mass immigration operations across the country was unprecedented for an agency primarily charged with managing the country’s borders.
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Bovino took its operations to Chicago, New Orleans, Charlotte and Minnesota. Fights and chaotic scenes followed almost everywhere. Within DHS, some officials were concerned about the tactics deployed by Bovino and Noem’s decision to empower him.
Following the shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, by federal agents in Minneapolis, Bovino left his position directing operations across the United States. He was replaced by Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, charged with bringing calm to the region.
January 2026: Labels protesters domestic terrorists
In the hours after officers restrained and shot Pretti, Noem weighed in with comments that would quickly hasten her downfall.
At a news conference, Noem said Pretti had been attempting an act of “domestic terrorism” and claimed he had brandished a gun. An initial review by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shortly after the shooting found those claims to be false and the episode undermined Noem’s credibility.
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Days later, when asked about Noem’s characterization of Pretti, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to defend her, distancing Trump from the comments. Days later, Trump himself called Pretti “an agitator and, perhaps, an insurrectionist.”
March 2026: Leadership under fire in Congressional hearings
Noem’s ouster came after lawmakers grilled her on a variety of issues during congressional hearings.
He refused to apologize for his description of Pretti and another American citizen killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, Renee Good, as domestic terrorists. He said his statements were based on “reports from the ground, from agents on the scene.”
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., questioned Noem about a ProPublica report that her department had spent more than $200 million on advertising contracts, which he said had gone to her former political consultants. Kennedy described the ads, including one in which she appeared riding a horse in front of Mount Rushmore, as a wasteful expenditure aimed at increasing Noem’s “name recognition.”
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is retiring at the end of his term, accused Noem of a “leadership failure.”
And during a House hearing this week, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., citing rumors, asked Noem if she had a sexual relationship with her senior adviser, Corey Lewandowski. Noem responded by calling the question “tabloid trash.”
“This has been something that I have refuted for years and continue to do so,” he said at another point in the hearing. Democrats, she said, attack Republican women by saying “either we’re stupid or we’re whores.”
And he added: “I’m none of those.”
Lewandowski, who managed Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, worked at DHS as a special government employee, a position that was supposed to last 130 days a year.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
