'Long overdue': Maine lawmakers react to Trump firing Kristi Noem
Trump announced Noem’s departure, praised her service and said he would replace her with Markwayne Mullin.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Lewiston Sun Journal, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
The Lewiston Sun Journal is an established local newspaper, and the article has a named reporter. Its disclosure of AP reporting indicates a contribution from a wire service, while the story is presented as locally reported rather than as an unattributed reproduction.
- Source type — Established local-news publisher with a regional reporting role.
- Author attribution — A named reporter is credited.
- Transparency — The article discloses that it also contains AP reporting.
- Editorial standards — The text gives attributed statements and distinguishes conflicting accounts.
The story attributes lawmakers’ statements and presents both Noem’s account of the advertising campaign and Trump’s denial. It supplies relevant context about scrutiny of Noem but relies heavily on official statements and does not include a response from Mullin or substantive comment from Republican members of Maine’s delegation.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article includes criticism from Maine Democrats, Trump’s praise of Noem, and the conflicting accounts about the advertising campaign. The reactions chiefly come from Democrats, and it offers little additional perspective from Republicans or the department.
- Source diversity — Most quoted Maine lawmakers are Democrats; Collins offers no response and King has no comment.
- Counterarguments presented — Trump praises Noem and disputes her account of his awareness of the advertising campaign.
- Opinion vs reporting — The article attributes evaluative claims to their speakers rather than adopting them.
- Omitted context — Limited explanation of the campaign and the department’s position beyond the attributed claims.
The article reports Democratic lawmakers’ criticism alongside Trump’s defense of Noem and the disagreement between Trump and Noem over the advertising campaign. The language is largely attributed rather than presented as the article’s own judgment.
- Language tone — Mostly straightforward, with critical descriptions attributed to lawmakers.
- Source selection — Includes statements from Democratic lawmakers, Trump and Noem, but no Republican delegation response.
- Framing — Frames the story as Maine lawmakers’ reactions to Noem’s firing.
Republished
Republished from Portland Press Herald. The relationship between the two publishers has not been determined.
126 stories · 78–79 · updated Oct 9, 2026
This is Portland Press Herald's own score, and this article is credited to Portland Press Herald. The host score in the Source Check is Lewiston Sun Journal's.
Maine Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden welcomed President Donald Trump’s firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Pingree called for reforms to the department and its immigration enforcement agency, while the article also notes Noem’s disputed account of a $220 million advertising campaign.
Pingree called Noem’s firing “long overdue” and criticized her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security. She said the next secretary should reform the department, especially U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and said Noem’s departure would not change her position on department funding during a shutdown. Golden also said firing Noem was the right decision and hoped her successor would do a better job.
Trump announced that he would replace Noem with Sen. Markwayne Mullin. Noem said Trump knew about a $220 million campaign encouraging people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily; Trump disputed that account. The article also describes scrutiny of Noem’s immigration-enforcement leadership and says Mullin would need Senate confirmation.
Community verdict
27 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →President who fired Noem and announced Mullin as her replacement
Maine representative criticizing Noem’s tenure and calling for DHS reforms
Pingree's version of this story ↗Homeland Security secretary fired by Trump amid scrutiny of her tenure
Noem's version of this story ↗Maine senator whose spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment
Maine representative who said Noem’s firing was the right decision
Oklahoma senator Trump announced as Noem’s replacement
Maine senator whose spokesperson said he had no immediate comment
Part of a bigger story
50 OUTLETSTrump announced that Kristi Noem would leave as Homeland Security secretary for a special envoy role and named Sen. Markwayne Mullin as his choice to succeed her. Left-leaning outlets connect Noem’s departure to broader controversies surrounding her DHS tenure. Center outlets focus on the succession and scrutiny of her testimony about the ad campaign. Right-leaning outlets also report the leadership change and scrutiny, while some give more attention to enforcement results and the administration’s immigration agenda.
- ARTICLES
- 55
- OUTLETS
- 50
- AVG CRED
- 64
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