Who is Markwayne Mullin? Trump’s DHS secretary choice after firing Kristi Noem

US President Donald Trump has nominated Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin to become the next head of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after removing Kristi Noem from the post. The White House said Mullin is expected to take over the job on March 31, marking one of the biggest cabinet changes in Trump’s current term. Mullin is currently a Republican senator representing the state of Oklahoma. He entered the Senate in 2023 after winning a special election to complete the term of former senator Jim Inhofe. Before that, Mullin spent ten years in the US House of Representatives, serving Oklahoma’s 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2023.Mullin was born on July 26, 1977, in Tulsa. He grew up in the small town of Westville in eastern Oklahoma. He is a member of the Cherokee Nation and became one of the few Native Americans serving in the US Senate. His election in 2022 made him the first Native American senator in nearly two decades and only the second citizen of the Cherokee Nation to serve in the chamber.Before entering politics, Mullin built a career as a businessman. At the age of 20, he took over his family’s plumbing company after his father became ill. Over time, he expanded the family business into several companies related to construction and property services. In 2021, he sold his plumbing businesses to a larger home services company, significantly increasing his personal wealth.Mullin also had a brief career as a professional mixed martial arts fighter. Between 2006 and 2007, he fought three professional bouts and won all of them, giving him an undefeated record.In Congress, Mullin has generally supported conservative policies, including strong restrictions on abortion and opposition to student loan forgiveness plans proposed by former President Joe Biden. A lot of his views align with those of the MAGA base. Trump announced Mullin as his choice for the homeland security post after dismissing Noem amid controversy surrounding her leadership and recent congressional scrutiny. The president said Mullin would replace her at DHS while Noem would move to a new administration role linked to a regional security initiative.If confirmed and sworn in, Mullin would lead the federal department responsible for border security, immigration enforcement, disaster response, and domestic security operations across the United States.