Kristi Noem, formerly the head of the Department of Homeland Security, is no longer serving as President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Shield of the Americas, reports on Thursday evening indicated.
CBS News was the first to report the move, with NewsNation confirming it later.
Noem had been moved to the position in March after her tenure at DHS.
“Kristi Noem’s envoy status expired last month and she is no longer in the role,” a State Department official said about the move.
“She is now a senior advisor to Deputy Secretary Landau and continues to work on the Shield of the Americas portfolio.”
The Shield of the Americas is a Trump administration-led coalition of numerous nations in the Americas and the Caribbean that focuses on organized crime and narco-trafficking.
Noem was the first person to hold the role, albeit as a quiet demotion that appeared designed to relieve her of her duties at DHS.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed that Noem’s appointment had lapsed in an interview Thursday night, without elaborating on the circumstances.
“We’ve seen the secretary’s time as envoy expire,” Pigott said, according to The Hill.
“She continues to be at the State Department as a senior adviser,” he added.
While Noem’s envoy designation expired before the United Nations held its General Assembly in September, she continued sitting in on meetings in New York.
However, CBS noted that Noem’s “public activities in the envoy role appear to have been limited,” and the UNGA was her last major appearance in the role.
Noem’s appointment as the special envoy began in March, after a series of controversies led to President Trump reportedly deciding to end her time at Homeland Security.
The tipping point was her testimony before Congress, it was reported, particularly the claim that Trump himself had signed off on a $220 million ad campaign that detractors said had promoted Noem over the department’s mission.
In addition, concerns about her behavior in the role — including claims she had a pilot fired over a misplaced blanket —
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin replaced her in the role of secretary of Homeland Security.
What do you think about Kristi Noem’s departure from the envoy role?
It’s a step back for her
67% (2 votes)
It was expected after her controversies
33% (1 vote)
Unclear how this affects the administration
0% (0 votes)
It’s unclear what Noem’s next move inside the Trump administration will be, if she remains there.
“There’s always these types of changes that happen,” Pigott told NewsNation. “This is part of what’s happening with these positions. But, certainly, we remain dedicated to implementing the president’s agenda across the board.”
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