Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praised Kristi Noem after she was fired by President Donald Trump on Thursday as secretary of homeland security.

Noem "did an excellent job over there securing our border," Hegseth said at a briefing on the operation in Iran. "The president is making a change.

"We all serve at the pleasure of the president."

He also praised Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who has been tapped by Trump to replace Noem.

"I'm sure Markwayne Mullin will do a fantastic job. He's been a friend of mine for a long time, but Kristi did a great job setting us up for success," he continued.

Hegseth said he had no concerns about safety under Mullin's leadership.

"Kristi did a great job setting this up for success," Hegseth said. "So, I don't have any concerns about whether or not the homeland will be covered."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also praised Noem for her work.

Noem was appointed special envoy for the Shield of the Americas after her removal.

"I look forward to working with Kristi Noem as Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas — our new security initiative comprised of 13 countries," Rubio wrote on social media.

"Kristi has achieved incredible results as Secretary of Homeland Security and will be a tremendous asset in our effort to promote security and prosperity in the Western Hemisphere," Rubio added.

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he was reassigning Noem as special envoy for the "Shield of the Americas," a new security program that Trump said will focus on improving security and cooperation across countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Trump wrote that details of the new security initiative will be unveiled Saturday. He said Noem has had "numerous and spectacular results" at DHS.

"I thank Kristi for her service at 'Homeland,'" Trump wrote.

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