Sen. Markwayne Mullin is responding after President Trump appointed him to serve as the new Department of Homeland Security Secretary. Earlier today, President Trump announced that Kristi Noem is out at the DHS and that he is nominating Sen. Mullin as her replacement. More details here: BREAKING: Kristi Noem OUT As DHS Head, Replacement Already Named In his first reaction to the news, Sen. Mullin revealed that he found out about the nomination in a phone call mere moments before President Trump announced it to the nation on Truth Social! Bill Melugin of Fox News shared Sen. Mullin’s initial reaction: BREAKING: Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s (R-OK) first reaction to being tapped as DHS Secretary by President Trump. pic.twitter.com/QEZIzRE0pb — Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 5, 2026 And, here’s another clip: JUST IN: Markwayne Mullin reveals he got the call from President Trump to become DHS Secretary MOMENTS before the TRUTH post “The phone call I got from the president was right before the statement went out!” Trump moves fast! pic.twitter.com/uh0eUOtWGW — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 5, 2026 Shortly after that, Sen. Mullin spoke more with reporters about the appointment, which he called “humbling.” Watch here: BREAKING — SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN ON HIS REACTION TO HIS DHS SECRETARY NOMINATION “It’s humbling. Because it happened quick, I had to call my dad, and it’s just pretty humbling when you start thinking about it, a little kid from west Oklahoma getting to serve in the… pic.twitter.com/nEDgEcWd6X — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 5, 2026 Sen. Mullin also praised Kristi Noem for her time at the DHS. Watch: BREAKING: DHS Sec. nominee Markwayne Mullin praises Kristi Noem’s leadership at DHS on her way out, says there are always ways to improve “Kristi is a friend, and I haven’t had time to call Kristi yet…she was tasked to do a very difficult job, and I think she has performed… pic.twitter.com/0X2r8ywUQU — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 5, 2026 BREAKING: DHS Sec. nominee Markwayne Mullin praises Kristi Noem’s leadership at DHS on her way out, says there are always ways to improve “Kristi is a friend, and I haven’t had time to call Kristi yet…she was tasked to do a very difficult job, and I think she has performed the BEST she can do underneath the circumstances.” “Are there always lessons to be learned? You know, listen, my wife and I, over the years, we have been fortunate enough to purchase companies and grow our companies, and every day there’s something you can do better.” “I think there’s opportunities to build off successes, and there’s also opportunities to build off things that maybe didn’t go quite as planned.” Kristi Noem is not being fired from the Trump administration entirely. Instead, she is being moved to a new role. She will serve as Special Envoy for President Trump’s new Shield of the Americas initiative. Noem responded with this statement on X: Thank you @POTUS Trump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas. @SecRubio and @SecWar are incredible leaders and I look forward to working with them closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and… — Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 5, 2026 Thank you @POTUS Trump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas. @SecRubio and @SecWar are incredible leaders and I look forward to working with them closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren. The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. security. In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise, I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security. We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again: we delivered the MOST secure border in American history, 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S., we have located 145,000 children, FEMA delivered disaster relief at a 100% faster rate, we ushered in the golden age of travel, saved the American taxpayer $13 billion and revitalized the U.S. Coast Guard. Newsweek shared more details about what the Shield of the Americas is and what Noem will be doing now: The Shield of the Americas is the Trump administration’s new hemispheric security initiative, created as part of a broader effort to reshape U.S. engagement in Latin America. The administration has made the Western Hemisphere a central foreign‑policy priority, framing the region as part of the United States’ “immediate sphere of influence” and elevating an “Americas First” approach. The initiative emerges at a moment when the administration has withdrawn from several regional organizations and postponed the traditional Summit of the Americas, signaling a shift away from large multilateral forums toward smaller, ideologically aligned partnerships. The Shield of the Americas is being launched through a summit in Miami with a select group of right‑leaning Latin American leaders. The document notes that those invited represent “the recent right‑ward shift in the region,” and the administration sees them as reliable partners for advancing U.S. interests. This approach fits into the administration’s “Enlist and Expand” strategy, which focuses on partnering with like‑minded governments to counter Chinese influence, secure trade and investment opportunities, and pressure other countries to join a U.S.‑led bloc. The initiative is therefore designed not as a broad hemispheric coalition but as a curated alliance of governments aligned with Washington’s geopolitical and ideological goals. Sen. Markwayne Mullin is poised to do a great job taking over where Noem left off as she moves on to her new position. Congrats and best wishes to them both!