Wag the Dog

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for March 5, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

The Latest

Kristi Noem is out at DHS. Donald Trump announced on Truth Social, in classic fashion, that he was nominating Sen. Markwayne Mullin to run the Department of Homeland Security. Noem now gets to be special envoy for the ‘Shield of the Americas,’ definitely not a job the president just made up.

No one on the Hill had been thrilled with Noem’s tenure at DHS. The frustrations run the gamut: from how she’s handled mass deportations, to her reaction to immigration agents killing two citizens in Minneapolis, to exorbitant agency spending on advertising, to her slow-walking critical FEMA funds. But her performance at congressional hearings over the last two days seemed to have sealed the deal for Trump, who until now has been resistant to shaking up his Cabinet.

Celebrations over her exit came quickly. One longtime FEMA employee told NOTUS that “anyone is better than that dog murderer.” Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat, said Mullin was likely to be an upgrade: “It’d be hard to downgrade.” GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski was asked if she was happy Noem was gone and gave a resounding, “Yep!”

Next up: Who will run for Mullin’s seat. Sources tell NOTUS’ Reese Gorman that Rep. Kevin Hern will likely launch a bid soon, and Rep. Stephanie Bice is also considering one.

The Hill

Tony Gonzales is in even more trouble. The entire Republican leadership called on him to withdraw from his House reelection campaign. Notably, they did not ask him to resign right now, as that would leave their tiny majority practically nonexistent.

Several Democratic lawmakers are pushing the Trump administration to stop targeting DACA recipients. Sens. Alex Padilla and Dick Durbin and Rep. Delia Ramirez appeared at a virtual press conference with one of the dozens of deported DACA recipients, Maria Estrada, to back her return.

The Administration

Trump wants a say in who runs Iran. “I have to be involved in the appointment,” the president told Axios, comparing the situation there to his involvement in Venezuela.

• Trump, flanked by Lionel Messi and other soccer players at the White House today, said that remaining Iranian military leaders should stop fighting. “You’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity, or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death,” he said.

Twenty-four states sued the Trump administration over the president’s global tariffs.

• “The focus right now should be on paying people back, not doubling down on illegal tariffs,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who is leading the case filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Who’s A Good Boy?

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