Trump wants a Native American senator to take over DHS — a first in U.S. history

Trump nominates Mullin to replace Noem

President Trump nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma on March 5 to take over as Secretary of Homeland Security. Mullin, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, would replace Kristi Noem starting March 31.

If the Senate confirms him, he would become the first Native American to lead DHS.

He would also be just the third Native American to serve in a presidential cabinet, after Vice President Charles Curtis under Herbert Hoover and former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland under President Biden.

Mullin built a business before entering politics

Mullin, 48, grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He left college, where he had a wrestling scholarship, after his father got sick.

He took over the family plumbing company, Mullin Plumbing, and turned it into the largest service company in the region.

He later finished an associate degree in construction technology from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. He is also a former undefeated mixed martial arts fighter.

Voters first sent him to the U.S. House in 2012.

He made Senate history in 2022

Mullin won a special Senate election in 2022 to fill the seat of retiring Sen. James Inhofe.

That made him the first Native American to serve in the U.S. Senate since Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado retired in 2005.

Campbell, a Northern Cheyenne citizen who died on Dec. 30, 2025, at age 92, had been the only Native American in Congress during his time in office.

Mullin is just the second Cherokee Nation citizen elected to the Senate, after Robert Owen, who served from 1907 to 1925.

Native Americans have rarely held cabinet roles

The history here is short. Charles Curtis, a Kaw Nation citizen, became the first Native American in the presidential cabinet when he served as vice president under Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933.

Nearly a century passed before Deb Haaland, a Laguna Pueblo member, became the first Native American cabinet secretary in March 2021.

If confirmed, Mullin would be the first Native American man to hold a cabinet secretary role and the first to lead a cabinet-level national security agency.

Noem faced criticism from both parties

Noem’s time at DHS ended after months of trouble. She faced criticism from both parties after federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens during immigration operations in Minneapolis in January.

A $220 million ad campaign encouraging voluntary deportation also drew scrutiny because it featured Noem prominently.

Several Republican senators, including Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, had called for her departure.

Trump said he approved the change, and Noem was reassigned to a new role as special envoy for a Western Hemisphere security effort.

DHS faces a funding gap and staff shortages

Mullin would walk into an agency under real strain.

DHS has operated without annual funding since Feb. 14, and the gap has left cybersecurity workers furloughed and other employees working without pay.

The department oversees more than 260,000 employees and 22 agencies.

Its reach covers border security, the Coast Guard, airport security through the TSA, disaster response through FEMA, and cybersecurity.

The new secretary will also face public trust challenges after months of debate over immigration enforcement tactics.

Paul scheduled the hearing despite past tension

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, set Mullin’s confirmation hearing for March 18. The two have a rocky history.

Mullin once publicly insulted Paul and referenced the 2017 incident in which Paul’s neighbor attacked him, suggesting he understood why it happened. Even so, Paul moved quickly to schedule the hearing.

Under federal vacancy law, Mullin could serve as acting secretary while his nomination moves forward. If the Senate does not confirm him by March 31, the DHS deputy secretary would step in.

Senators split along party lines, mostly

Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on a Homeland Security subcommittee, said he would vote to confirm Mullin. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina called him a strong pick to restore competence at DHS.

But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said he would not support the nomination, calling the problems at DHS a matter of policy, not personnel.

Democrats remain split, with some open to backing Mullin and others pushing for broader changes at the department first.

Cherokee Nation leaders praised the pick

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. called the nomination a historic moment for the tribe. Hoskin said Mullin carries the same Cherokee Nation citizenship card he does and understands what that means.

The nomination comes at a sensitive time. Multiple tribal nations had a strained relationship with DHS under Noem after ICE agents detained or questioned Native American citizens.

Several tribes had banned or restricted ICE agents from entering their land. Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, a Chickasaw Nation citizen, also welcomed the news.

Mullin calls the nomination “pretty neat”

Mullin told reporters the nomination was humbling.

A kid from Westville, Oklahoma, getting to serve in the president’s cabinet is “pretty neat,” he said. He pledged to listen to concerns from both parties but said he would enforce the law as Congress passed it.

He also said he wants to get DHS focused on protecting the homeland broadly, not just immigration. He acknowledged the department has a very broad reach and said there is a lot of work ahead.

Oklahoma governor will fill his Senate seat

Once Mullin resigns, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will have 30 days to appoint a replacement.

State law says the appointee must have been a registered Republican for at least five years and must pledge not to run for the seat in the next election.

Because Mullin was already up for reelection in November, no separate special election is needed. The winner of the November 2026 general election will take office once results are certified.

Confirmation could come before March 31

Mullin’s nomination marks a notable moment for Native American representation in the federal government. The Cherokee Nation is the largest tribe in the United States.

If confirmed, Mullin would oversee the most well-funded federal law enforcement agency in the country. Republicans want him in place by March 31.

Whether that happens depends on how many senators, including some Democrats, back his nomination. The confirmation process is expected to move quickly.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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