(CNN) — President Donald Trump said Thursday on social media he was pushing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem out of her position and would nominate Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her.

Noem, who was tapped by Trump to helm DHS at the start of his administration, has faced growing scrutiny over her conduct in the position, including her alleged romantic relationship with her chief adviser, distribution of the windfall of cash the department has received — particularly for an ad campaign that showcased her prominently — and her conflicting accounts over fatal incidents involving federal immigration agents.

Current and former Homeland Security officials have privately questioned how much longer the secretary would remain in the post following what they perceived as a series of missteps. Those include blindsiding the White House with a decision to pause TSA precheck during the current DHS funding lapse — a decision that was reversed within hours — and her responses during two congressional hearings this week.

Trump himself was angry with how the hearings went — particularly her assertion, which he denies, that the president was aware of an expensive DHS ad campaign that featured her. He has indicated in conversations with some Republican lawmakers that he’s open to replacing her, floating names of various members of Congress as potential replacements, sources told CNN. Punchbowl News previously reported on Trump’s conversations with Hill Republicans.

Since the fatal shootings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and Noem’s controversial responses, Trump has been asking allies about what they think of her. Those close to him believed at the time that it was largely Trump being Trump — he often asks about his team and how they are doing, particularly amid backlash.

CNN has previously reported that some top White House officials have long been frustrated with Corey Lewandowski, Noem’s top aide and the subject of some pointed questioning during this week’s congressional hearings.

CNN reached out to the White House for comment.

“Secretary Noem serves at the pleasure of the President. She is honored to serve the American people and lead DHS,” a Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement.

Trump dispatched White House border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis in January in the wake of the Good and Pretti shootings to resolve the issues on the ground there, an apparent rebuke of Noem’s handling of the situation. Homan and Noem have a long simmering feud and rarely speak, according to multiple current and former officials. White House officials maintained that the two were in lockstep with each other.

Problems on the Hill

GOP allies outside the administration have also grown weary of Noem — and support among GOP senators has weakened. That was evident in questions posed by Republicans during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week.

“Quality matters, not quantity, quality, and what we’ve seen is a disaster under your leadership,” GOP Sen. Thom Tillis said at the hearing.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy confronted Noem about her agency’s advertising campaign, which, as Kennedy pointed out, often prominently showcases Noem. ProPublica reported last year that the recipient of a lucrative advertising subcontract was the husband of a former DHS spokesperson.

While Noem argued that bids for the advertisements were properly submitted, Kennedy said his research “shows that you did not bid them out” and, in one instance, chose a company that was formed “11 days before you picked them.”

“It troubles me, quarter-fifth to a quarter of a billion dollars in taxpayer money when we’re scratching for every penny and we’re fighting over rescission packages, I just can’t agree with Madam Secretary,” Kennedy said, later asking whether the president approved the campaign which featured her prominently.

“Did the president know you were gonna do this?” Kennedy asked.

“Yes,” Noem replied.

“He did?” Kennedy pressed.

“Uh huh, yes,” Noem said.

In an interview with Reuters Thursday, Trump said he didn’t know about the campaign. “I never knew anything about it,” he said.

Kennedy told reporters Wednesday it’s “up to the president” if Noem remains in her role, adding “my job is to point out things that I think are detracting from our agenda, the president’s agenda.”

Multiple other Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Noem testified this week, wouldn’t say Thursday if they back her leadership, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally.

“Time will tell,” he repeatedly answered when asked if he has confidence in the DHS secretary and if he would vote to confirm her again if he had the chance.

Complaints about Lewandowski

Within DHS, officials have also expressed increasing frustration — and at times, exhaustion — over the way Noem and Lewandowski, a longtime Noem confidante who was tapped early on to serve at DHS as a special government employee, run the agency.

“People are tired of their shit. Honestly, it’s been unreal,” one Homeland Security official told CNN.

Lewandowski, who’s only intended to serve in his role on a temporary basis, has developed a reputation at the department of reprimanding officials, directing the firings of personnel, requesting employees be put on administrative leave, calling agency leaders “to hold them accountable,” and micro-managing — including over the massive infusion of cash the department has received to ramp up deportations.

Noem downplayed his influence when asked by Republicans and Democrats about his role this week.

“His role is a special government employee. And special government employees work for the White House and the administration. There are thousands of them,” Noem said, maintaining that Homeland Security officials were following rules and regulations associated with special government employees in an exchange with Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Noem was also grilled about longstanding allegations in the media that she was in a romantic relationship with Lewandowski. She called it “tabloid garbage” during a House hearing Wednesday.

It’s unclear who would immediately replace Noem if she were to leave the department. Her deputy secretary, Troy Edgar, has been tapped to serve as ambassador to El Salvador. Under the first Trump administration, the department underwent frequent turnover with multiple people pulled to serve in an acting capacity.

A South Dakota return?

Some officials and sources close to the White House have mused whether Noem would try to run for the Senate in South Dakota, challenging incumbent Sen. Mike Rounds in the GOP primary. To qualify for the ballot in South Dakota, Noem would need to gather just over 2,000 signatures before the filing deadline at the end of March.

But jumping in the race now wouldn’t give Noem much of a runway to campaign. The primary is scheduled for June 2, giving the former South Dakota governor less than three months to campaign.

Trump has also already endorsed Rounds for Senate and an effort to paint him as an instigator of the president would prove challenging. In his endorsement last year, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Rounds was “an America First Patriot” who had his “complete and total endorsement for re-election.”

“He will never let you down,” Trump said.

Unlike other Republicans on the ballot this year like Maine Sen. Susan Collins or Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, Rounds voted against convicting Trump in his impeachment trial in 2021. He voted for every one of Trump’s cabinet nominees and has rarely spoken out against Trump even though he is seen in the chamber as a pragmatic and more traditional Republican.

Rounds also voted for Trump’s signature tax package.

There was one notable squabble between Rounds and Trump. The president did vow back in 2022 that he may never endorse Rounds again after the South Dakota Republican called the 2020 election fair.

“I will never endorse this jerk again,” Trump said in a Truth Social post from the time.

The-CNN-Wire
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