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Here's the Scoop
Why Kristi Noem Is Out at DHS and How the Iran War Could Affect China’s Economy
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Hey, everybody. And welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vasugian. Today on the show, Chinese leaders are painting a grim picture of their economy, how the US War with Iran could add to the stress. Plus, why President Trump's TikTok deal faces a new legal challenge. And Massachusetts has caffeinated fighting words for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Up first, though, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is going to be leaving her post at the end of the month. President Trump announced today that he is tapping Republican Senator Mark Wayne Mullen from Oklahoma to take her place as Homeland Security Secretary. Kristi Noem carried out the Trump administration's nationwide mass deportation of migrants and crackdown on crossings at the border. And she's also been at the center of controversies. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been calling for Noem to step down or be fired. So for this, I want to bring in Julia Ainsley, who is NBC News's senior senior Homeland Security correspondent. Hey, Julia.
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Hey.
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Yes, big news today. Noem has been fairly controversial, to say the least. The president has been asked about whether or not he was going to fire her. Every time he was asked, essentially he said, we're very happy with the DHS secretary. Well, now she's been fired. What has pushed the president today over the edge.
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B
You know, the analogy I keep hearing today is a pot of boiling water. And we know that what made the pot boil over was the response she gave to the House and the Senate this week, her oversight hearings. But the water was already getting really hot. And if we go back to earlier this year with the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Goode and Alex Prettie in Minneapolis at the hands of ICE and cbp, respectively, she in both cases came out with statements that turned out not to be entirely accurate. Very quickly after those shootings that really blamed those who had been shot for being perpetrators of violence. And she was called on that during the hearings. It's also what made the president pull Greg Bovino, which was someone she put in Minneapolis, out of Minneapolis and put in Tom Homan instead, someone who reports directly to the president. She lost power. Then we started to see in Cabinet meetings. He didn't call on Secretary Noem in the first Cabinet meeting after the shooting of Pretty. And then with the hearings, what changed was his focus on something we've actually been reporting on a long time at NBC News, but now got to such a public consciousness level. And that is the way she's handled key contracts and the immense amount of power she and her senior advisor, Corey Lewandowski, have over these contracting decisions. And she was asked specifically about a $200 million contract for an ad campaign that encourages immigrants to self deport. She says that ad campaign actually saved the American taxpayer money because more people left the country and they didn't have to waste resources on them by actually deporting them. But the way it came across in the hearings was that she spent too much money on what was essentially a vanity project. There was another contract that went to those same ad agencies for $100 million for an ICE recruitment campaign. And we're told that that went against the advice of staff within ICE who wanted to go with a cheaper ad campaign agency. And instead the secretary overruled those officials and her underlings actually threatened their jobs.
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You talked a lot about the lowlights and what pushed the President over the edge. But she's had some highlights as well in instituting the president's immigration policy and specifically its border crossings.
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B
Yeah, I mean, it is not to be understated when you look at the past Trump administration in the first term, the DHS secretaries he went through so quickly, there were five of them. Many were fired because the numbers at the border got too high. And that was a key Trump campaign promise to bring down illegal border crossings. There has been a historic low and border traffic Under Secretary Noem. Now, that is mainly attributed to a new policy that Trump put in place his first day in office, which was to shut down the border to all asylum seekers. But nevertheless, Noem oversaw the quietest, most secure southern border in history. I've been down there and it's unlike anything I've seen in my over a decade of covering this.
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A
Let's talk about her replacement, the President announcing that as well. Senator Markwain Mullen, the junior senator from Oklahoma. He was a U.S. congressman for decade. What more do we know about him?
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B
Okay, so Mark Wayne Mullen, as you mentioned, Republican senator from Oklahoma, an incredibly well liked person. I'm told by my Hill colleagues he is young, relatively young for a senator. He's 49 years old. He just came into the Senate in January of 2023. Before that, he was a House member of the house from 2013 to 2023. So he's been known in Washington at least since 2013. Small business owner, has multiple plumbing companies back in Oklahoma. He also is a mixed martial artist if you're looking for some fun facts. But he obviously from Oklahoma, not a border state, much like South Dakota, where Noem comes from, not a border state. Governor which previously, some would think that having experience with immigration would qualify you for this job. But that wasn't the case with Noem either. And he also has not served on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, nor was he part of the Judiciary Committee this week that asked her questions. But the idea here is they're trying to pick someone who will be an easy confirmation so that Trump can get back to what he wants as a no drama cabinet before the midterms.
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A
Noemi's the first Cabinet member to get fired in Trump 2.0 in this administration that is starkly different than his first administration. Who could feasibly be next? Are we seeing the beginnings of possible replacements in the pipeline?
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B
I really don't think so. In fact, this second Trump administration, the second term of the Trump administration, has been so apprehensive at firing anyone that there were multiple opportunities where Trump could have moved to fire Noem and did not. And we understood that that's because he really didn't want to have the appearance of chaos or drama. And so I think to fire anyone else would further perpetuate a perception that he really doesn't want to have at this point.
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By the way, Julia, what is the envoy for the Shield of the Americas, which is Kristi Noem's new job?
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It's a little undefined at the moment. As we understand it, the Shield of Americas is not as much an alliance as it is an event. And it's an event that's happening this weekend in Doral, Florida. And the president will be traveling there. And this will bring in leaders from Central American countries as well as other Latino leaders. And this is now a position that we didn't know was empty, but she will be presiding over this Shield of the Americas. It's something that we've been asking the White House for more details on. But we should point out it's not clear when she's leaving the position of DHS Secretary. March 31st will likely be the day that they would like for Mullen to take over, presuming he can get through the Senate in that amount of time for a confirmation. And so at this point, many at dhs, at least until they're told otherwise, are operating as if she is still the secretary until the end of the month. And so she could take on dual roles. And based on our reporting, we don't believe that this will be the end of Kristi Noem's political career unless it's assessed that she can't come back from this. And she has eyed, as it's Been reported in other outlets as well. She's been eyeing a possible Senate run.
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Do we know if Mark Wade Mullen's policies and following of what it is that the president wants to institute when it comes to immigration reforms is going to be a departure from Kristi Noem is more on the line of Tom Holman?
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No, we don't have any indications that it will be a departure, but what we do know is that there was already a shift in immigration policy that really had nothing to do with who was in control, but merely it was a White House decision. And that really was effectuated in the fallout from Pretty's death when they sent Tom Homan into Minneapolis, when they stopped the surges in US Cities that had already been put into place. And so we're imagining that Mullen will be overseeing a DHS that while we'll still focus on deportations, we know they're building these huge warehouses around the country. They still have so much money ISIS $75 billion through the one big beautiful bill.
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Yeah.
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But we do know, as the president told Tom Yamas, that he wants a softer touch on immigration. And so that is the DHS and the kind of policies that Mullen will be overseeing. And so it very well could be that his tenure will look different than Noem's as far as his personal beliefs on immigration. There's not a lot on it because again, he's not from a border state and he's not from on any of the committees now that deal with this topic.
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You mentioned the money that they're getting from the big beautiful bill for dhs. There is still, though, a partial government shutdown in which certain departments within DHS are not getting funded. One of the demands coming from the Democrats in reopening the government was fire Kristi Noem. Is this going to incentivize a reopening of that part of the government?
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You know, my Hill colleagues have been busy chasing down that answer to that question all day. I think this could open a window where Democrats, Democrats may move closer. But you could expect some tough questions of Mullen in a confirmation hearing, especially if DHS isn't open yet and Democrats still hold this leverage that they are responsible for funding this agency and that even without the majority in Congress, it's their votes that are going to ultimately reopen dhs.
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Julia Ainsley, thank you.
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Thanks so much.
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We are going to take a very quick break. And when we are back, what China is saying about the war in Iran, that's next.
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and we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. Going now to China, where economic growth may be slowing. That was the tenor from party leaders at the annual political meeting this week. Obviously, there are a lot of pressures on the country right now, not least of which is the US War with Iran, which is already disrupting trade routes that China relies on for oil and other goods as well. So how is China reacting to the war with one of its major trading partners ahead of a high stakes meeting with President Trump? I want to bring in NBC News correspondent Janice McIfraer for more on this. She's in Beijing for us. Hey, Janice.
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Hey, Yasmin.
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Let's talk China's economy. They've been facing pressure as of late. You and I have spoken about this before. You've got this real estate crisis happening there, weak consumer spending as well, tariffs from the United States. But it seems like finally the rulers within China are acknowledging this slowdown when they're looking at potential growth. Here it is now under, it seems, 5% at 4 1/2% for the first time in more than three decades. How do leaders there plan to tackle what is happening with the slowing of economic growth in China?
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F
Well, the growth targets don't typically change from year to year. Last year it was 5%. They say they achieved that. And this year they're lowering it four and a half to 5%. And as you mentioned, it hasn't been this low since the early 90s. So it's gathering some attention. But it is an acknowledgment. It's confirmation that China's economy is in a new era. It's in slower growth, it's facing domestic problems like deflation, youth unemployment. They're trying to shift from a manufacturing base to services to AI to technology. And they're trying to map this out over a longer term plan. So by lowering the growth targets, they're also reducing expectations because these are the growth targets that economists and financial markets look to as some indication of where China's economy is at, where it's going and what the government's plan is to get it there. So they have problems that they want to deal with domestically and then also deal with the curveballs that are being thrown at them from international geopolitics with now the war in Iran, with the trade war with the US And US Tariffs.
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Let's talk about those curveballs and specifically Iran. As you mentioned, Iran and China are very close. China buys about 80% of Iran's oil. They're also a major manufacturing economy. They need some of these key shipping routes that right now are congested and or closed down because of the ongoing war. I'm talking specifically about the Strait of Hormuz. What is at stake for them and how is China responding to this war, both domestically and geopolitically?
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China has a lot at stake. If we look at the oil piece alone, 12% of China's oil supply is coming from Iran. But 30%, a third of the overall supply is coming from other Gulf countries and it's going through the Strait of Hormuz. So that's the bigger headache. Are they going to be dealing with an energy crisis? They have stockpiles. The estimates are around probably three to four months worth in stockpiles. Plus they have more oil that's already in transit, which could add another few months. But if there is a prolonged closure of that strait, which is possible as part of Iran's retaliation, this is the most critical energy choke point in the world. And so if the oil isn't flowing through there, then China is probably already starting to look for alternatives. And that's likely going to be Russian oil. But there are other products that they rely on that trade route to get to China. And then there's the diplomatic piece of it. You know, Iran is a strategic ally, it's not a security partner. But this is now the second Chinese friendly country to fall to US Military action in the last two months, the first being Venezuela. Right, but we're seeing a pattern in that China is issuing stern statements, they're condemning the killing of the Ayatollah, they're calling for talks, they're calling for a ceasefire, they're sending an envoy to the region, but that's about it. They're not saying anything that's implying that they're going to provide anything more than rhetorical support. They're not talking about military or civilian support. And there's not the expectation that they are going to go much further.
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Why?
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Well, one of the main reasons is because they're hosting President Trump at the end of the month for what they see as a very key summit. You know, there was a lot of speculation here, Yasmin, that maybe the war in Iran would effectively delay or even derail the meetings with President Trump. They thought, how can Xi Jinping host the US President when this conflict is going on against an ally? But the way that China's leadership sees it is that the Iran relationship is one that they can manage. The US Relationship is the one that matters. And so longer term, they're not willing to risk what could be direct military confrontation with the United States for Iran, because longer term, bad relations and bad trade relations with the US Poses a graver downside risk to China's economy than the current situation in the Middle East.
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What can we expect from this, from this summit?
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That's hard to say, because I think the expectations for deliverables or big deals are actually very low. I think the main thing that the two sides are looking to do is to extend this trade truce that they've reached. The US China relationship is actually in a better place than it's been in a long time. There have been five rounds of trade talks so far leading up to the.
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Well, it's hard to be pissed off at the entire world, so you gotta stay friends with someone, it seems like. So I guess the United States right now is choosing China.
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But it's also the way that the world has changed even in the last several months. And if you look at the diplomatic revolving door that now exists in Beijing, there have been so many countries, the leaders of so many countries that have come through Beijing looking to do business looking to make deals because they're trying to lessen their dependence on the United States because the US has become the more unpredictable partner. And so there's some of that that's playing into the US China relationship now as well. What China wants from this is stability. They want access to American technology. They want to continue to have a market to trade to. They want to invest heavily in AI and in robotics. And that depends on having stability in the US China relationship. And again, that's the biggest thing they're trying to manage is the downward risk that a bad relationship poses to economic growth here.
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Janice Nakifre, thank you.
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Thank you.
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By the way, Iran's foreign minister told NBC News anchor Tom Yamas that China is supporting the country. We're gonna have more from that exclusive interview in the headlines. Stay with us. And while you're waiting, why don't you go ahead and subscribe to here's a scoop wherever you listen to your podcast. Apple, Spotify, we don't care. We just wanna make sure we're right there in your feedback.
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And we're back with here's the scoop from NBC News. Let's get to some headlines. Iran's foreign minister says the country is prepared for a US Ground invasion. Minister Abbas Arakchee spoke in an exclusive interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Yamas. President Trump has not ruled out boots on the ground in Iran. Are you afraid of a US Invasion in your country?
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No.
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We are waiting for them.
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You are waiting for the US Military to invade the ground troops?
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Yes, because we are confident that we
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can confront them and that would be a big disaster for them.
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In that interview, Aragchi also flatly rejected any negotiations with Washington and denied that Iran had sought a ceasefire. A newly formed anti corruption group is suing President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi over the TikTok deal that transferred its U.S. operations to investors backed by the administration. The lawsuit from the Public Integrity Project argues the arrangement violates a 2024 law signed by former President Biden, which required ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. business before Trump took office, a requirement later upheld by the Supreme Court. They say the deal the president approved rewarded allies who personally enriched him, pointing to the fact that some of the investors have close ties to the president. That includes Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who previously hosted a $100,000 a plate fundraiser for the president. The Justice Department and TikTok US did not respond to requests for comment. The House Oversight Committee is subpoenaing Attorney General Pam Bondi for a closed door hearing to testify about the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files. Five Republicans joined Democrats to support the vote. Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina challenged Bondi's claim that all the Epstein files have been released, asserting that millions of documents, videos and logs are still missing. While The DOJ released 3 million pages in January, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the department was withholding roughly 3 million more documents primarily to protect the identities of sexual abuse survivors. Critics say that violates the Epstein Files Transparency act signed in November. House GOP leadership is calling on Republican Texas Representative Tony Gonzalez to resign following allegations that he had an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. It comes just after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into whether Gonzalez violated the House Code of Official Conduct with respect to sexual misconduct or favoritism. Gonzalez exchanged sexual texts in 2024 with his then Aiden, according to messages previously obtained by NBC News and verified by her widower. He appeared to acknowledge the relationship during a podcast interview, saying he had a, quote, lapse in judgment. Gonzalez is facing a May runoff for his congressional seat against pro gun influencer Brandon Herrera. If Gonzalez loses that race, the investigation could be dropped entirely. Gonzalez has not commented on the calls for his resignation. And finally, Massachusetts is getting ready for another Tea Party, but this time it might be running on Dunkin. It started when HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Took aim at America's favorite morning ritual, challenging chains like Dunkin and Starbucks to prove their sugary iced coffees are safe and then threatening to pull them from the market otherwise. Since Duncan was founded in Massachusetts, the pushback came incredibly fast. Massachusetts governor Moore Healey firing back on X with a defiant Come and take it and an image of a black Duncan's cup with a star over it. So yeah, your morning coffee could become the unofficial state flag of the resistance that is going to do it for us at here's the Scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. And if you like what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And you can also subscribe to our daily newsletter, the Inside Scoop. It is a deeper dive on the main stories of the day that comes out every weeknight straight to your inbox. You can sign up for the Inside Scoop as part of our paid subscription@nbcnews.com we'll see you tomorrow.
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