President Donald Trump swore in Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on Tuesday as the newest secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Mullin is replacing Kristi Noem as the lead of the country’s top law enforcement after the president was unsatisfied with her handling of Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployments, particularly in Minneapolis, and her testimony to Congress about it.
Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post earlier this month, saying Noem would be reassigned as the special envoy for the “shield of Americas,” a security initiative that was created after his announcement.
The president said Mullin was chosen because he “gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda.”
“Markwayne will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN,” Trump posted.
Trump celebrates Mullin at swearing-in ceremony
Trump started off the ceremony in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon saying it was a great day for him because he has a lot of confidence in Mullin.
“And I just want to say, Markwayne, congratulations. You deserve it, great man. Let me also thank Secretary Mullin’s beautiful family,” Trump said of his wife and six kids.
Trump also noted others in attendance at the ceremony, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. “For 13 years, Markwayne has represented for the incredible state of Oklahoma.”
“He was in there in Congress as a member of the House and then as an outstanding United States senator. And he really has been outstanding,” Trump later added. “He’s been a close and vital partner in helping us secure the border, stop migrant crime and the scourge of illegal drugs and make America safe again and make America great again.”
Trump said he believes Mullin will fight for homeland security for the U.S. and secure the country to make it “really strong.” He criticized the Biden administration for its “open borders” and said he believes it won’t happen again under Mullin’s leadership.
“With Secretary Mullin at DHS, we will continue our record setting efforts to deport these illegal alien criminals from our country, and we are doing it at record levels, despite a very unfair court system,” Trump said, later adding, “And now, we’re going to see all of our cities take a big step because of Markwayne.”
Bondi then swore Mullin in and the newest secretary said he thinks that was “the most nervous I’ve ever been.”
“It just seems surreal being in the Oval Office and having the president of the United States speak so highly of me, and then recognize my family and know my family by name, it’s humbling and I never take it for granted,” he said. “But I made this very clear that I don’t care what color your state is. I don’t care if you’re red or you’re blue. At the end of the day, my job is to be secretary of Homeland and protect everybody the same. And we will do that. I’ll fight every single day.”
Now that Mullin has been confirmed and sworn in by the president, he will vacate his seat in the Senate. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt can now appoint a temporary senator to take over until the fall election. State law in Oklahoma stipulates that the individual who temporarily fills Mullin’s seat cannot run for the position come November.
Alan Armstrong, an oil and gas executive, was appointed to fill Mullin’s seat, Stitt announced Tuesday after Mullin’s confirmation was completed. Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern has announced his candidacy for the position once Armstrong leaves office later this year.
Comfortable confirmation
Mullin was partially caught off-guard after the president chose him to replace Noem. He rushed out of the Senate Republicans lunch early this month and accepted the position via a phone call with Trump before the official announcement went public.
Speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill, he said he needed to continue the conversation with the president so they can “get on the same page.” He didn’t say he could do a better job than Noem, calling her a friend, but said there’s always room for improvement.
He shared that he wanted to win over Democrats in the confirmation process, noting that yes, he’s a Republican and a conservative, but as leader of DHS, his goal is to enforce the policies passed by Congress “regardless if you support me.”
Mullin was confirmed by the Senate earlier this week and was preparing to take the lead of the department more than five weeks into a shutdown stemming from Democratic demands to change immigration policy.
The Senate on Monday voted 54-45 to confirm Mullin to the position. His first objective as secretary will likely be to continue negotiations with Senate Democrats to fund the department, which has been impacted by the shutdown, especially the Transportation Security Administration.
Two Democratic senators, Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, voted to confirm Mullin. A lone Republican, Sen. Rand Paul, voted with the rest of the Democrats against confirming him. Paul pointed to past comments and outbursts from Mullin as to why he was hesitant to confirm him.
Mullin’s confirmation hearing was a fiery one. He faced tough questions from Democrats who wanted to know how he’d operate differently than Noem. Republicans largely supported Mullin and directed their criticism at Democrats over the DHS shutdown. However, Paul consistently pushed back on Mullin’s previous actions and travel he took while in the House.
Mullin making headlines
Mullin has represented Oklahoma in the Senate since 2023. He’s the second member of the Cherokee Nation to serve in the Senate. Before that, Mullin served 10 years in the House and has often served as a mediator between the two chambers of Congress and the Trump White House.
He’s a staunch Trump ally and made headlines during his time on Capitol Hill, including in November 2023, when he nearly engaged in a physical altercation with Teamsters President Sean O’Brien during a committee meeting. Mullin, a former MMA fighter, told O’Brien to “stand your butt up.”
Before serving in Congress, Mullin was a rancher and business owner. He was once involved in an ethics investigation due to his involvement in his family’s businesses while serving in the House.
Noem frustrations mount over months
Trump had reportedly been frustrated with Noem’s performance for a while before her departure, and this grew after she gave testimony he disagreed with. He made it clear to Republican leaders that he was considering replacing her.
Senate Republicans were notified of Trump’s decision during their lunch meeting. Mullin left the meeting after receiving a call from the president. Sen. Eric Schmitt, of Missouri, announced Noem’s ouster to the room by reading Trump’s Truth Social post aloud to the senators.
Noem, a former South Dakota congresswoman and governor of the state, was leading Trump’s deportation initiatives and tightening security at the country’s southern border. It was one of the president’s top priorities.
Trump praised her for her work at the border, but she came under fire in recent months for deportations and detentions elsewhere around the country. She particularly was criticized for the detention and deportation of people who didn’t commit crimes, but also for not paying enough attention to the duties she had as the leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
She was sharply criticized for her handling of the shooting of two protesters by federal agents in Minnesota earlier this year.
In a post responding to Trump’s announcement of her departure, Noem thanked Trump for appointing her to her new position and said she looked forward to working more closely with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again,” she wrote.