Who Is Markwayne Mullin? US Senator To Replace Kristi Noem As Homeland Security Chief

Last Updated:March 06, 2026, 02:33 IST

Mullin, a successful businessman and a professional MMA fighter, will replace Kristi Noem as the US Secretary of Homeland Security after a Senate confirmation.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday fired Kristi Noem from the position of Secretary of Homeland Security, announcing that Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin will replace her at the end of this month.

Noem, a former governor of South Dakota, was one of Trump’s most high-profile secretaries and the face of the administration’s harsh crackdown on immigration. Noem had faced intense criticism for handling the immigration crackdown after two federal agents shot dead two citizens, and for using vitriolic language against immigrants.

“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026," Trump announced on Truth Social.

“The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida," he added.

Who Is Markwayne Mullin?

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on July 26, 1977, Mullin served as the US Representative for Oklahoma’s 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2023 before being elected to the Senate in a special election in 2022. He is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and the first Tribal citizen to serve in the US Senate.

Interestingly, Mullin was an undefeated professional MMA fighter with a 5-0 professional record before his entry into politics. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Christie Renee Rowan, and has five children – Jayce, Jim, Andrew, Larra, Ivy, and Lynette.

Mullin graduated from Stilwell High School and attended Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship till he was 20. When his father fell ill, Mullin and Christie postponed studies and decided to save Mullin Plumbing, the family business. It went on to become the largest service company in the region.

The couple launched several other successful companies, ranging from Mullin Environmental to Rowan’s Steakhouse, a restaurant in Stilwell, Oklahoma. Mullin also serves Oklahoma on the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Appropriations Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee; and the Indian Affairs Committee.

‘MAGA Warrior’

In his Truth Social post, Trump described Mullin as a “MAGA warrior", who has done a “tremendous job representing the wonderful people of Oklahoma."

“Markwayne truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda. As the only Native American in the Senate, Markwayne is a fantastic advocate for our incredible Tribal Communities. 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," he added.

Mullin, who also backs Trump’s hardline immigration policy, will require a Senate confirmation to become the Homeland Security chief. “Once I make that transition, my focus is to keep the Homeland secure. That’s going to be my focus—and we’re super excited about this opportunity," he told reporters after the announcement.

This came after the popularity of Trump’s immigration approach fell under Noem’s tenure as DHS Secretary, as agents detained US citizens, raided neighbourhoods and tear-gassed streets in an attempt to drive up deportations. Noem enforced several hardline policies, such as cutting legal immigration programmes and a travel ban on people from several countries.

However, Noem irked Trump during a congressional hearing when she said Trump knew about her decision to a $220 million ad campaign to encourage immigrants to self-deport. This did not sit well with the president, who insisted that he did not sign off on the ad campaign.

News world Who Is Markwayne Mullin? US Senator To Replace Kristi Noem As Homeland Security Chief

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