Trump quietly asking GOP lawmakers if he should fire Kristi Noem: White House insiders

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attends a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

During the 2000s, Donald Trump's hit real show "The Apprentice" made him famous for the words, "You're fired." Trump went on to do a lot of firing during his first presidency and clashed with quite a few traditional conservatives who served in his administration. But Trump hasn't fired nearly as many appointees during his second presidency, as he has surrounded himself with MAGA loyalists who are unlikely to question him.

According to Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman, however, one Trump loyalist is in danger of being fired: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

In a March 5 column, Sherman reports, "President Donald Trump has quietly asked Hill Republicans if he should fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the latest sign of her tenuous standing inside the West Wing, according to multiple Republicans who have spoken with the president. Even Speaker Mike Johnson speculated about the potential for a change at the top of DHS during a recent House Republican elected leadership retreat in Fort Lauderdale, Fla."

Trump, according to Sherman, called some GOP senators following Noem's early March testimony in two hearings: a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, March 3, followed by a House Judiciary Committee hearing the next day.

"Those appearances were marked by extraordinarily bitter exchanges between Noem and Democratic lawmakers, especially over Trump's harsh immigration crackdown," Sherman explains. "But some of the most notable exchanges, especially in the Senate hearing, were with Republicans. Trump was said to be especially upset about Noem’s response when Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) pressed her Tuesday about a government-funded ad campaign that Kennedy said only served to boost her own personal name recognition nationally. ... Under questioning from Kennedy, Noem said repeatedly that Trump personally approved the controversial ad blitz featuring her in the lead role. This has so angered Trump that Noem's future at DHS may be at risk, we're told."

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