President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he is replacing Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary after months of controversy. The 79-year-old further added that he has picked Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her. In a social media post, Trump said that the move would take effect on March 31. He noted that Noem will be a special envoy for the Western Hemisphere
“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),” Trump posted. “I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.’”
Read More: What is ‘Shield of the Americas’? Kristi Noem’s new role explained
Mullin will only be able to take on the role after being confirmed by the Senate. A White House official told Bloomberg that the administration will work to confirm Mullin as quickly as possible.
Markwayne Mullin reacts
Mullin said he got the call from Trump just moments before the president posted the news on social media.
“Noem was tasked to do a very difficult job, and I think she performed the best she could under the circumstances,” Mullin told reporters. “I think there’s an opportunity to build on successes, and there are also opportunities to build on things that maybe didn’t go quite as planned.”
Read More: Why did Trump fire Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary? Possible reasons explained
Markwayne Mullin net worth
Mullin served in the US House of Representatives for Oklahoma before taking a Senate post, which he has held for three years. He is a former MMA fighter with a 5-0 record. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Christie Renee Rowan, and has five children – Jayce, Jim, Andrew, Larra, Ivy, and Lynette.
The 48-year-old graduated from Stilwell High School and attended Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship. He and his then-girlfriend, Christie, took over Mullin Plumbing after his father fell ill. The couple has launched several other businesses – from Mullin Environmental to Rowan’s Steakhouse.
Quiver Quantitative in May last year estimated that Mullin was worth $65.6M. At the time, he had the 16th highest net worth in Congress, as per the portal.