Ari Fleischer says Trump fired Kristi Noem as WH ‘didn’t trust information from Homeland Security’

WASHINGTON, DC: Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer offered insight into why President Donald Trump decided to replace Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying the administration had begun to lose trust in information coming from the Department of Homeland Security.

Speaking during an appearance on 'The Ingraham Angle', Fleischer explained that the decision came as Trump worried his strongest campaign issue - immigration - was beginning to slip politically.

The discussion came shortly after Trump announced on Thursday, March 5, that Noem would step down as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security at the end of the month after serving just over a year in the role. The president also confirmed plans to nominate Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin as her replacement.

Immigration strategy and street unrest raised concerns for Donald Trump

“Immigration was the president’s biggest winning issue going into the campaign and he didn’t want to see it turning into a losing issue,” Fleischer said during the television interview.

The former press secretary explained that Trump’s political strategy had been built heavily around the issue, making any perceived drop in public support particularly sensitive.

Fleischer also pointed to unrest and public confrontations linked to immigration debates as another factor that may have influenced the president’s thinking.

“The street confrontations, all the violence on the streets… made the president start to see he’s losing support,” Fleischer said. According to him, images and reports of clashes tied to immigration enforcement or protests were seen as potentially damaging to the administration’s political standing.

Ari Fleischer says White House questioned information from DHS

One of the most striking points from Fleischer’s remarks was his suggestion that the White House had begun questioning the information it was receiving from the Department of Homeland Security.

“They didn’t trust the information they were getting from Homeland Security,” he said.

Fleischer framed the issue as a breakdown in confidence rather than a single mistake or event.

Donald Trump announces leadership change at DHS

Trump confirmed the change in a Truth Social post on March 5, saying Kristi Noem would step down from the Homeland Security role at the end of March. The president also said she would transition into a new position focused on regional security efforts in the Western Hemisphere.

At the same time, Trump revealed plans to nominate Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to lead the department.

“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 wrote.

The nomination will still need to go through the confirmation process before Mullin can officially assume the role.