Administration Mace lauds Trump’s firing of Noem as ‘right call’ after controversial ads by Sophie Brams - 03/06/26 3:04 PM ET by Sophie Brams - 03/06/26 3:04 PM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said Friday that President Trump made the “right call” by ousting Kristi Noem from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following revelations he did not sign off on a controversial multi-million dollar advertising campaign as Noem had claimed. “I trust President Trump and his judgment here,” Mace said during an appearance on Newsmax . Noem’s tenure at DHS came to an end on Thursday, when Trump announced that she would depart the agency for a new role as special envoy for “ The Shield of the Americas .” He tapped Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to replace her.   Trump had been considering firing Noem for several weeks but held off for fear of appearing as if he was giving in to Democratic demands following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers in Minnesota, sources told The Hill . The final straw reportedly came when Noem asserted during a heated Senate hearing this week that Trump had personally approved the $220 million ad campaign for border security. Critics had previously raised concern about how the contract was awarded, noting that it bypassed the normal bidding process and was given to a firm with political ties to Noem. Noem’s defense on Tuesday — which ultimately led to her exit — came in response to an intense line of questioning from Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who later said she and Trump had “different” recollections about the situation.   Trump told NBC News on Thursday that he “ wasn’t thrilled ” about the expensive campaign, reiterating that he “didn’t know” about it. Mace said Friday she was “very grateful” to Kennedy for raising the issue. “I had no idea how much money, hundreds of millions of dollars, that Kristi Noem had wasted on her personal PR for all those TV ads that are running across the country that have nothing to do with deporting illegal aliens,” she said.   “And so, I’m looking forward to the new leadership. I’m looking forward to President Trump being even more effective with better leaders within DHS. I think this was the right call,” Mace added. The South Carolina Republican, who sits on the House Oversight Committee, also hinted that an investigation may be warranted. “Now that I have more of this information, you know, I think that we need to go back to a potential subpoena for her through the Oversight Committee,” Mace said.  “I don’t think she walks away from this, and she shouldn’t, because as Republicans, we need to hold our own accountable because President Trump is trying to re-instill trust in our institutions, in Congress, in the White House,” she added. Add as preferred source on Google Tags Donald Trump John Kennedy Kristi Noem Markwayne Mullin Nancy Mace Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email More Administration News See All Media Wall Street Journal cheers Noem ouster, calls for changes to immigration enforcement by Fiona Bork 2 hours ago Media  /  2 hours ago