As the Department of Homeland Security nears 40 days since a government stalemate shut it down, Markwayne Mullins has been sworn in as the ninth secretary to lead the federal agency.
Attorney General Pam Bondi swore in Mullins in an Oval Office ceremony with President Donald Trump leading the ceremony.
In brief remarks, the secretary said he is committed to protecting all Americans and continuing to work every day.
“I’ll be fighting 365 days … No one’s going to outwork me, and I’m not going to let any of them outwork me. The president has entrusted me with this, and failure is not an option,” said Mullins.
When introducing Mullins, Trump described the new secretary as a “great American patriot,” adding that he was the only one for the job.
The secretary was confirmed Monday by the Republican-majority Senate, with two Democrats crossing the aisle to confirm the Trump-nominated senator to head DHS.
Trump tapped Mullins to lead DHS following the reported fallout of the now-former Secretary of DHS, Kristi Noem, over congressional testimony claiming the president gave the stamp of approval to a $200 million ad campaign for the agency featuring Noem.
Despite the reported fallout, Trump reassigned Noem to a newly created position as the special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.
In a March 5 social media post, the president said Noem’s new position would be a part of his administration’s new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere.
Up until his swearing in Tuesday afternoon, Mullins served as a Republican U.S. senator representing the State of Oklahoma. The state’s Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Mullins replacement Tuesday morning, tapping Alan Armstrong, an energy executive.
Stitt described Armstrong as a “strong business leader who understands the power of free markets and limited government.”
