U.S. President Donald Trump fired former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, but she put on a brave front afterward.
Now reassigned, Noem shared an Instagram post where she described her new job as “fulfilling”.
Kristi Noem addresses her new role after Donald Trump removed her as Homeland Security secretary
Kristi Noem was fired as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security by President Donald Trump in March 2026 after a series of controversies. These included criticism over immigration enforcement operations, agency management, and a $220 million DHS advertising campaign. Noem became the first Cabinet member Trump fired in his second term.
The president nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin to take over Kristi Noem’s position. However, rather than banning Noem from all public positions, OK! Magazine reports that, not wanting to give Democrats a complete win, Noem was reassigned to a newly created position – “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.” The role description involves leading a new Western Hemisphere security initiative focused on combating transnational crime.
Undaunted by the firing, Noem took to Instagram to say, “every day at work is different… but all fulfilling!”
Instagram commentators, however, were largely sceptical of Noem’s declaration. One posted, You know you don’t work. Stop that. ”A second person quipped, “Ah yes, how is the ‘Shield of America’ con job (oops, meant role) going?”
Just days after the firing, Noem appeared with Trump at a security summit in Miami. She took the opportunity to continue praising the Trump administration heavily.
Noem’s firing was a consequence of brash public feedback on her handling of the role, including a hugely expensive taxpayer-funded ad campaign. Reportedly, the contract had been given to a firm that has ties to Noem, without having a fair bidding process.
The ad campaign showed Noem warning immigrants of deportation. Her tenure in office also attracted criticism, with declining approval ratings.
