Trump ousts Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced March 5 he was replacing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after lawmakers grilled her ​this week about a $220 million ad campaign that featured her prominently.

Trump announced on social ⁠media that Noem would be succeeded by Sen. ‌Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, effective March ​31.

Trump said Noem would become special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, his initiative for security against narcotics ⁠trafficking in the western ‌hemisphere.

The shift came ‌after Noem was grilled by Republicans and Democrats at the Senate ⁠Judiciary Committee on March 3 and the House Judiciary Committee on ‌March 4 about ‌her ad campaign. She testified that she had discussed the campaign with Trump ⁠and he approved it.

“I never ​knew anything about ⁠it,” ​Trump told Reuters in a phone interview.

The ads prominently featured Noem, including in a scene filmed on horseback ⁠at Mount Rushmore in the former South Dakota governor’s home state.

Noem said on Tuesday that ⁠the contract was awarded through “a competitive process” and that no political appointees were involved. On Wednesday, she ⁠said the contract ‌was “all done correctly, all done ​legally.”