Noem successors

Trump aides and allies float potential Noem successors as speculation grows over her tenure

Fox News contributor and former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, whose term ends in January, are among the names being discussed.

By Myah Ward and Eric Bazail-Eimil

The White House says Secretary Kristi Noem isn’t going anywhere. That hasn’t stopped people from floating possible replacements.

Fox News contributor and former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, whose term ends in January, are among the names being discussed inside the Trump administration and on the Hill as potential Noem successors, according to an administration official and two people close to the administration.

The conversations about potential replacements come amid heightened speculation that Noem’s days as a key executor of President Donald Trump’s mass deportations agenda may be numbered. There is increasing frustration with how she’s managed the agency, fear she’s bungled the billions of dollars in new funding her agency received this year from Republicans’ domestic policy and tax legislation. In addition, there are also concerns about Corey Lewandowski’s outsize role at DHS, and the tensions between Noem and Trump Border Czar Tom Homan about how to best execute the president’s immigration agenda.

This story is based on conversations with 17 people, including administration officials, people close to the White House, and lawmakers. Many were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel issues.

“I’m hearing from people that she’s about to leave,” said one person close to the administration, who added that Noem wouldn’t be fired. The exit could be graceful, the person said, with Noem leaving for “another opportunity” and being able to say she’s succeeded at DHS.

Even as frustrations mount at the White House, a decision to remove her would ultimately have to come from Trump, who has repeatedly praised Noem in public for her leadership. And White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told reporters Tuesday that he’s “thrilled with the job Secretary Noem is doing,” adding that her “track record as secretary of Homeland Security has been nothing short of extraordinary.”

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Trump has “assembled the most talented and capable Cabinet in American history.”

“Secretary Noem is doing a great job implementing the president’s agenda and making America safe again,” she said. “Reports of her departing are Fake News. President Trump, Secretary Noem, and Tom Homan are all on the same page when it comes to implementing the President’s agenda and the results speak for themselves — the border is secure and deportations continue to increase.”

Noem also has defenders on Capitol Hill. Asked about her potential departure, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) insisted that “Kristi’s worked really hard.”

But the praise for Noem and denials that she is on her way out have done little to tame discussions among people inside and close to the administration, who believe Noem will exit DHS in the months ahead.

Immigration enforcement is one of the president’s most controversial domestic policies, and its ties to the use of the National Guard in U.S. cities have critics warning the administration is building a paramilitary police force. Noem has been the face of this policy and leaned into turning raids into made-for-TV productions, all of which has earned her scorn on the left. But her constant presence on television and penchant for live shots have also irked some in Trump’s orbit who see her as unserious and too focused on her 2028 ambitions, according to multiple administration officials and people close to the White House.

“She’s not doing this so she can get a cushy job on Fox News when she leaves,” said the administration official. “Her best shot is to get out on the campaign trail now, start lining up endorsements from governors and then use that to negotiate a role in the next administration — secretary of State, vice president.”

A second administration official said they would be shocked if Noem left by early January, but added that there is “definitely a belief” inside the department that she will leave at some point to launch a campaign for 2028. The official, like others, suggested that Noem has not indicated that she plans to exit anytime soon.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, when asked to comment on growing speculation about Noem’s political future, said “I can’t speak for the President, but I’ve seen more credible reporting on Bigfoot.”

Still, chatter about her departure has escalated in recent weeks, opening the door for others to position themselves to fill her role.

Chaffetz, who served as House Oversight Committee chair from January 2015 until he resigned in 2017, was engaged with DHS and had high-profile battles with Obama-era appointees. He’s a close ally of the president, a fierce advocate on Fox News, and regularly has discussions with senior administration officials about the implementation of Trump’s agenda, said one person close to the Trump administration.

Chaffetz did not respond to a request for comment.

“The policy implementation, numbers and communications aren’t where they should be at DHS. He knows that and has vast policy and oversight experience, not only on the central issue of immigration enforcement but also the complicated component agencies within the department,” the person said. “He covers a lot of bases for President Trump and senior officials. He enjoys close relationships with lawmakers on both sides of the Hill and is uniquely confirmable. I think that’s why it makes a lot of sense that his name keeps popping up in discussions about filling a post, particularly DHS.”

Youngkin, who is term-limited, has met with Trump immigration officials, according to one former ICE official. In a call with supporters before last month’s election, when Lt. Gov. Winsome Earl-Sears was defeated in a landslide, the Virginia governor praised Trump for cutting “trade deals, peace deals” and for bringing “huge investments back to the United States.”

“I know that you will always put America first,” Youngkin said on the call last month. Trump responded by calling Youngkin “one of the greatest governors in our country.”

A Youngkin spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

The role of Homeland Security secretary already had a reputation for being an unwieldy job. Whoever leads DHS is tasked with a sprawling remit that includes cybersecurity, immigration enforcement, disaster response, counterterrorism efforts, transportation security and the Secret Service.

Immigration has earned the role more partisan scrutiny: The House impeached Noem’s immediate predecessor, Alejandro Mayorkas, and Trump’s first term saw various people cycle through the challenging role.

Yet Noem’s tenure appears particularly precarious for a number of reasons, according to administration officials and people close to the White House. Noem already faced bipartisan criticism for cutting staffing at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the nation’s main cyber agency housed under DHS, at a time when the country faces major digital threats. DHS under her leadership has also faced heat from both parties for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s difficulties in disbursing federal relief to states following recent major natural disasters.

“We’ve had our issues with reimbursements around [Hurricane] Helene,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said. “Mine is a very selfish perspective. You can never do it soon enough, but Homeland Security seems a little slow off the marks there” for disaster recovery.

And on immigration, there’s frustration inside the White House that Noem hasn’t moved quickly to spend dollars from Congress’ tax and domestic policy legislation, including deploying funds to expand detention space — instead focusing on partnerships with red state governors to open vacant prisons and facilities that ultimately provide less beds, according to multiple administration officials and people close to the White House.

This tension also emerged over the purchase of more planes for removal flights, with some inside the administration feeling that she “took too long,” the first administration official said. The official said ICE is expected to commit all funds doled out by the GOP megalaw by the end of the fiscal year, viewed by some internally as an effort to counter criticism that she hasn’t moved the money fast enough.

But some Trump officials are also concerned that other DHS contracts may draw scrutiny as Democrats seize on media reports about the agency’s spending, said the first administration official and one of the two people close to the White House.

For example, a ProPublica report documented how a firm with close ties to Noem’s political operation and some of her top aides was one beneficiary of a more than $200 million ad campaign to deter illegal immigration. A group of Senate Democrats has requested an investigation. McLaughlin told ProPublica, that “we don’t have visibility into why” the firm was chosen, and DHS told the publication that the agency “has no involvement with the selection of subcontractors.”

“There’s definitely some fishy stuff going on with money,” said the first administration official. “Whether or not it’s true — even just a rumor — optics are everything.”

Even some Senate Republicans were loath to defend her when asked about her future and her record leading the agency. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) acknowledged that it’s been difficult to exercise oversight over DHS, but insisted that it was up to the president to decide whether Noem should stay.

Another factor that has made Noem’s tenure less stable is her rivalry with Homan, who has worked in numerous administrations since ICE was constituted. The two have had regular disagreements about how to execute the president’s immigration agenda, and both want to be perceived as the one in charge, said the first administration official, the two people close to the administration and a third person close to the White House.

“Her clashes with Tom Homan are a problem. The rivalry, neither wanting to be subordinate to the other,” said the first person close to the administration. “Their insistence on independence and on being the one running the show — or at least the one perceived to be running the show.”

Lewandowski’s ongoing influence at DHS has also continued to ruffle feathers. As chief adviser to the secretary, former and current administration officials have questioned how he’s counting his days at the agency — given he was originally tapped as a special governmental employee, a temporary role that is supposed to be limited to 130 days per year of unpaid work. He is regularly seen alongside Noem at events and on travel, and has been involved in green-lighting six-figure contracts at the agency. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have been hyperfocused on Lewandowski’s role and have sent letters to the administration, calling for the release of Lewandowski’s financial disclosures.

The rest of the political calendar seems unlikely to ease any of Noem’s political woes. The secretary is slated to testify Thursday before the House Homeland Security Committee for its annual hearing on worldwide threats. Democrats are expected to raise a litany of issues before the secretary, from the ways in which ICE officers have carried out immigration enforcement operations to allegations that Noem and other top DHS officials have benefited from federal contracts.

Senate Democrats want Noem to testify in the coming weeks as well.

“There’s certainly no shortage of problems with the management of DHS, and I think it has been mismanaged in all sorts of areas,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee. “Somebody has to be held accountable for it.”