I'm Isaac Saul, and this is Tangle: an independent, nonpartisan, subscriber-supported politics newsletter that summarizes the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day — then “my take.”

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Today’s read: 13 minutes.

The literacy crisis.

A growing body of evidence suggests the United States is in a literacy crisis, with cascading consequences for younger generations. This issue reaches back decades, but some promising solutions are within reach, too. Drawing on the lessons from the “Southern Surge” in reading improvements, Associate Editor Audrey Moorehead takes stock of U.S. literacy education and makes the case for a national reading revival. You can read it here.

Quick hits.

1. Iran’s Assembly of Experts chose Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of deceased leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader. (The selection) Separately, Turkey's Ministry of National Defense said North Atlantic Treaty Organization defenses intercepted an Iranian missile entering Turkish airspace, the second such incident in the past week. (The intercept) Finally, U.S. Central Command announced a seventh U.S. service member death in the ongoing conflict with Iran. The service member was wounded in an Iranian attack on U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1 and later died from his injuries. (The death) 
2. President Trump said in an interview that Cuba “is going to fall pretty soon,” adding that he plans to send Secretary of State Marco Rubio to negotiate with the Cuban government. (The comments)
3. Customs and Border Protection said it will establish a system for issuing tariff refunds following the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down duties levied under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The system is expected to be operational within 45 days. (The update) Separately, 24 states sued to challenge President Trump’s new 15% global tariff, arguing the president improperly justified the duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. (The suit)
4. Two people were arrested after allegedly igniting a pair of “suspicious devices” outside of Gracie Mansion, the New York City mayoral residence. The incident occurred during an anti-Islam protest and counterprotest, and law enforcement said the suspects admitted to being inspired by ISIS. (The arrests)
5. Oil prices rose to over $119 per barrel, the highest price since mid-2022, amid shipping disruptions linked to the conflict in Iran. (The prices) 

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Today’s topic.

The shakeup at DHS. On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that he will reassign Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to replace her as secretary. The decision marks the first announced departure of a cabinet secretary in the second Trump administration. Noem will be reassigned to the new anti-drug-trafficking office position of special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.

President Trump thanked Noem for her service on Thursday, writing that she “has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!).” However, the president was reportedly angered by her claim during testimony last week before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees that he signed off on a $220 million DHS advertising campaign that prominently featured Noem. “I never knew anything about it,” Trump told Reuters on Thursday. 

Separately, lawmakers from both parties challenged Noem during the hearing on her response to the killings of two U.S. citizens by DHS agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in January. In the aftermath of each incident, Noem claimed the victims’ actions had constituted “domestic terrorism” and had put agents’ lives in danger, comments she said she stood by in the hearings. 

In a statement, Noem thanked President Trump for her new role with the Shield of the Americas, saying, “Secretary [Marco] Rubio and Secretary [Pete] Hegseth are incredible leaders, and I look forward to working with them closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren.” The new initiative, formally announced by Trump on Saturday, will coordinate countries in the Western Hemisphere on countering drug trafficking and cartels in the region. The effort coincided with joint operations between the U.S. and Ecuadorian militaries targeting drug traffickers. 

Sen. Mullin is expected to replace Noem on March 31. Mullin is a first-term senator and a vocal supporter of President Trump, particularly his immigration agenda. The Senate must confirm Mullin before he can take office; unless another person is appointed, Deputy DHS Secretary Troy Edgar will serve as acting secretary if Mullin is not confirmed by the end of the month. Additionally, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) will appoint a replacement to fill the vacant seat until a new senator is elected in November. 

Today, we’ll cover Noem’s ouster and Mullin’s nomination, with views from the right and left. Then, Executive Editor Isaac Saul gives his take.

Agreed.

• Most on the right and left say Trump was right to remove Noem, though they differ on the justification. 
• Both sides also criticize Noem’s use of DHS resources for her personal benefit. 

What the right is saying.

• The right supports Trump’s decision to remove Noem, with many hoping it will reorient DHS toward more effective immigration enforcement. 
• Some express optimism that Mullin can succeed as her replacement. 
• Others say Noem’s poor communication skills led to her firing. 

The Washington Examiner editorial board wrote about “a welcome change of leadership at DHS.”

“The seeds of Noem’s ultimate firing came early in her tenure: a $220 million DHS advertising campaign ostensibly designed to promote self-deportation by illegal immigrants included many wince-worthy scenes glamorizing Noem,” the board said. “Noem’s little empire was built on sand and started to crumble first with the shooting death of anti-ICE activist Renee Good and accelerated with the death of Pretti a short time later. On both occasions, Noem and her team rushed to issue statements to news outlets that later turned out to be false.”

“Mullin is a passionate advocate for Trump’s immigration policies, known for his confrontational and performative style… But although he has an aggressive demeanor, he has always seemed well-informed, with a thorough knowledge of his subject matter,” the board wrote. “Noem’s vanity projects and personal life turned the DHS into a soap opera, squandering credibility when the country needed competence. Mullin won’t fix every problem overnight, but he can restore basic professionalism: disciplined messaging, lawful priorities, and a chain of command that respects facts.”

In USA Today, Dace Potas said “Americans need a strong and functional Department of Homeland Security.”

“[Noem] was never well-suited to her position, but she fit the Trump mold of making immigration enforcement a spectacle. That strategy got her the job, but it is also precisely what led to her losing it,” Potas wrote. “Noem should have been fired long ago. Her mismanagement of the Department of Homeland Security was put front and center by the botched Minneapolis saga, in which thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers flooded the streets in an attempt by the administration to grab headlines, rather than actually deliver results on immigration.

“That haphazard approach led to the deaths of two protesters interfering with immigration enforcement, and of whom Noem and others in the administration then decided to lie,” Potas said. “Whatever the motivation, it is good that Noem is out of DHS. She wasn’t good at her job and lacked the basic human decency that is demanded by the office. I hope that Sen. Mullin approaches the position with more humility and competence. Americans need a strong and functional Department of Homeland Security. It was increasingly clear that Noem wasn’t the one to provide that.”

In RedState, Jennifer Oliver O'Connell suggested “Noem was the architect of her own demise.”

“Noem never shook that ‘ICE Barbie,’ photo-op ditzy image, and it became more cemented with her less-than-stellar press conferences, particularly in critical moments for the agency. In her handling of the Minneapolis deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Noem came off as offensive, incompetent, and out of her depth,” O’Connell wrote. “The fact that Trump chose to position Homan for de-escalation and clean up for a situation… made it clear he had lost confidence in her ability to continue to lead not just Operation Metro Surge, but the agency.”

“If Noem's lack of coordination and communication with Homan is any indication, she might have created these same disconnects with personnel within the entirety of DHS,” O’Connell said. “One of Mullin’s jobs may well be to re-clarify the mission and unify the people tasked with its execution. His skill in finding consensus within the Senate body will serve him well in doing what Noem’s singular focus on herself failed to accomplish.”

What the left is saying.

• The left supports Noem’s removal but says it was for the wrong reasons.
• Some worry that Mullin will continue DHS’s immigration crackdown.
• Others say Noem created ongoing political crises for Trump. 

In DCReport, Terry H. Schwadron said Noem was fired “for all the wrong reasons.”

“Trump did not fire Noem because she has overseen the fatal shootings of two citizens protesting ICE tactics in Minneapolis, or for allowing undertrained, camo-clad, anonymized paramilitary Homeland Security forces to grab migrants for deportation without judicial warrants,” Schwadron wrote. “He fired Noem because her performance at a congressional hearing was the last straw in embarrassment over buying herself two luxury jet planes, for reportedly having a love affair with colleague Corey Lewandowski… [and] for bad press.”

“Trump did not fire her for failures to provide emergency aid through FEMA for what appear to be outwardly political reasons or for ridding her departments of people who know something about Iranian counterintelligence at a time when we are in a war,” Schwadron said. “We can praise Trump for recognizing that Noem was not up to the job for which he chose her out of political loyalty. But we can also be clear that he is doing so for the wrong reason.”

In The Guardian, Moira Donegan wrote “[Noem’s] replacement won’t be an improvement.”

“Noem became a figurehead of cruelty for [DHS] immigration policies. A fan of photo ops and publicity stunts, she traveled to El Salvador last year to pose in front of a cage full of shirtless, tattooed prisoners at Cecot, the massive prison camp to which many immigrants from the US were summarily shipped without due process in the early months of the Trump administration,” Donegan said. “Noem made sure to contrast the brutality of the concentration camps where she was being photographed with her own coiffed, powdered, and surgically enhanced appearance.”

“Mullin, a close Trump ally and immigration maximalist, is unlikely to mark much of a departure from Noem, either in policy substance or managerial savvy. The mass deportations, self-dealing and aggressive, even seemingly contemptuous approach to citizens and their rights seems likely to continue for as long as Trump, Miller and their allies control the vast apparatus of the DHS,” Donegan wrote. “But Noem’s departure, the first firing of a cabinet secretary in Trump’s second term, does reflect the president’s profound political weakness as the nation heads toward the November midterms.”

In Bloomberg, Erika D. Smith suggested “Noem’s abuses at DHS went deeper than photo shoots.”

“Noem forgot the first rule of working for Trump: Defend him, not yourself. Instead, Noem has emulated Trump’s performative toughness, callousness and cruelty. She seemed to believe that she could keep her job by belligerently doubling down on his unpopular policies,” Smith said. “That was another miscalculation. Although scenes of immigration agents dragging people from their homes in their underwear are getting less attention these days than the war in Iran, Americans haven’t forgotten about the crackdown in Minneapolis that led to the fatal shootings of two US citizens.”

“Just this week, a poll from YouGov found that half of Americans want to abolish ICE — an all-time high. The biggest shift came from independents — the swingy voters who will decide control of Congress in the midterm elections,” Smith wrote. “That polling should be taken as an indictment of Noem’s leadership. It is also a political problem for Trump, given the dwindling support for his signature policy of mass deportations. And it’s a boon for Democrats, who are using it as political cover to continue to block funding to fully reopen the Department of Homeland Security.”

My take.

Reminder: “My take” is a section where we give ourselves space to share a personal opinion. If you have feedback, criticism or compliments, don't unsubscribe. Write in by replying to this email, or leave a comment.

• I’m very glad to see Congress function and both sides agree on ousting Noem.
• On paper, Markwayne Mullin doesn’t appear that much more qualified.
• Despite that, Mullin will likely be an improvement as DHS head.

Executive Editor Isaac Saul: Hey, look: Congress did something!

For as long as I’ve been writing publicly about politics, I’ve been criticizing Congress for giving up more and more of its authority to the executive branch. This issue has hit a fever pitch in the last few years, with more leverage than ever surrendered by the rank and file to Congressional leadership, the legislature forfeiting its most basic duties (like tariffs), and U.S. senators now resorting to posting on X to beg Israel not to bomb certain infrastructure in Iran — rather than, you know, voting to take back their war powers.

But Kristi Noem’s exit represents an increasingly rare moment where Congress did its job (executive branch oversight) and got a result (ousting an incompetent leader).

On the Suspension of the Rules podcast this week, I nominated Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) as “good guy of the week” for his questioning of Noem. Some Tangle readers were skeptical of my praise, but I’ll stand by it. Kennedy asked smart, direct questions. He wasn’t theatrical, he didn’t perform outrage for the cameras, and he wasn’t grandstanding — he just asked Noem the right questions in the right way to allow her damning answers to seal her own fate.

Kennedy’s method was almost certainly optimized for President Trump, but it was much more effective than the approach used by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who spent most of his time berating Noem to generate viral clips.   

Kennedy’s restraint (and tact) is also a stunning contrast to Noem’s disastrous term at DHS. From her made-for-TV tough talk while cosplaying as a federal agent to her self-dealing and corruption to allegations of extramarital relationships at work to her blatant lying about the Americans citizens killed by DHS agents and the mistreatment of hundreds of citizens and noncitizens alike, it’s been headline after headline of incompetence. 

That’s why, somewhat unexpectedly, today’s newsletter features an “Agreed” section — commentators across the political spectrum are happy to see her go (albeit for different reasons).

Of course, the pitfalls of Noem’s appointment were easy to see coming. In November of 2024, I wrote an edition praising Trump’s first round of picks for his second administration, with one notable exception:

The only pick so far that really made me go “yikes” was the choice of Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) for Homeland Security. Noem obviously has some experience — serving as a state executive is one of the most important and difficult jobs there is, and she won reelection in a landslide in 2022... 

But this is one of the most powerful jobs in the country, and her policy record on the signature Trump issue of immigration is scant. Aside from supporting Trump’s so-called “Muslim ban,” she legislated very little on the issue in Congress and, naturally, has not had much of a role to play on immigration as governor of South Dakota. She hasn’t exactly proven herself capable of navigating the national spotlight, either. 

As pro-Trump pundit Sean Davis put it, “Noem is a lightweight and a completely unserious person, and she is not remotely suited to the most important border security cabinet position in the entire government.”

So, no, I’m not surprised that Noem’s tenure is coming to an unceremonious end. The question now is whether a leadership change will make a meaningful difference. In a lot of ways, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) is a confounding choice. My three biggest criticisms of Noem from November 2024 also apply to Mullin now: He has no law enforcement experience, sits on no committees directly related to the Department of Homeland Security, and has no signature pieces of immigration-related legislation. He is, in short, another risky pick who, like Noem, has had some ugly public moments (like when he challenged the Teamsters president to a fight during a Congressional hearing) and a lightweight resume for the task at hand. 

Also, if I were Mullin, I’m not so sure I’d take the job. Leading DHS comes with a lot of power, but with Trump’s focus on immigration enforcement, it also shines a particularly bright spotlight on the position that few are equipped to handle. Not to mention, the agency is in disarray as Noem departs (oh, and one more thing: It’s currently shut down). But Mullin is a Trump loyalist, and when the president comes calling, you’re supposed to step up. 

All that said, Mullin has a few things going for him: He seems less scripted and more genuine than Noem, and I suspect he’ll be a much more effective messenger of the president’s agenda. He has a track record of connecting with voters as an “everyman,” and he’s a senator from Oklahoma, which is much more impacted by what happens at the border than Noem’s home state of South Dakota was. 

I’m optimistic that Mullin can improve on Noem’s abrasive style, too. Not long after he was tapped, he told reporters that while he is a conservative Republican, he’d try to work across the aisle to ensure all Americans are kept safe. That kind of tone is a notable departure from the outgoing secretary’s, but will that tone shift just put a new face on the same policies or genuinely reset strategy, approach, and goals? As I do for all politicians, I’ll remain skeptical of Mullin’s promises and posture until we see him in action. After all, this is the same lawmaker who promised to leave after three terms in Congress, then served five, and then became a U.S. senator (Mullin says he changed his mind on his promise after Trump won the presidency). 

Especially notable for me, personally, is that Oklahoma is part of the Big Bend Sector, which I’ve written about recently because of a resurrected plan to build a wall through national and state parks there. I’ll be keeping a close eye on how Mullin navigates that situation, with his (presumably) more intimate knowledge of the region and his background as a member of the Cherokee Nation. He has not exactly been an advocate of public lands and environmental protection, but he also seems to have a genuine love for the great outdoors, narrow conservation efforts, and the wild West. What does he do when his hardline border policies run head-first into a proposal that many of his constituents and Texans are going to loathe? We’ll see. That will be just one of many tests for him ahead.

For now, all eyes are on Iran — but this pick may have more important long-term impacts on day-to-day life for Americans (and our neighbors). That’s especially true given the DHS funding fight and its oversight of TSA and FEMA. Personally, I’ll be approaching Mullin’s appointment with an open mind and some baseline gratitude that he isn’t Kristi Noem. 

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Your questions, answered.

Q: I’m curious to know the differences between refugees, TPS, asylum seekers, [and] green-card holders up to citizenship. What is illegal and how the status changes lately, etc.

— Rochelle from Minnesota

Tangle: These are all different distinctions of noncitizens who are inside the United States. Broadly, legal status (“authorized” or “unauthorized”) just refers to whether an immigrant is in compliance with the requirements of their designation, which we’ll describe in order of least to most privileges below.

Border crosser: Many visitors with a valid passport and proper visa can stay in the United States for up to six months, and some people without visas from participating countries can stay for lesser periods based on their passports. Anyone who crosses the border illegally is in the country without authorization and is susceptible to being detained and/or removed.

TPS: This stands for “temporary protected status,” which is a designation granted by the Department of Homeland Security to nationals from countries that make it difficult or unsafe to be deported there. TPS can apply to any noncitizen from a designated country who applies for it during designated periods, has been continuously in the United States since the date of designation, and is not subject to inadmissibility (for example, people who have committed felonies can be deported regardless of their country’s designation).

Asylum seeker: A foreign national can apply for asylum because they fear persecution (the “refugee” definition under international law). If granted parole during the application process, asylum-seekers can remain in the country with a work permit while their case is reviewed, which can sometimes take a year or more.

Refugee: A foreign national who has the same credible fear as an asylum-seeker, but who has been approved for U.S. Refugee Admissions Program before arriving in the U.S., is considered a refugee. Refugees are permitted to work and have access to social services like Medicaid. They are required to apply for lawful permanent resident (green card) status one year after being admitted.

Green-card holders: Lawful permanent residents who have been approved to live and work in the United States under some conditions. Residents fall under various restrictions that are complicated to describe (but that we have written about before), and they typically apply for naturalization after living here with a green card for several years. 

Citizens: Any immigrant who has complied with the requirements of their residency, applied for citizenship, and has had their application approved is naturalized as a U.S. citizen. Under the law, there is no difference in rights afforded to native-born and naturalized U.S. citizens.

Want to have a question answered in the newsletter? You can reply to this email (it goes straight to our inbox) or fill out this form.

Under the radar.

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that Commerce Department officials have drafted new regulations that would expand U.S. government control over exports of artificial intelligence (AI) chips, requiring government approval for chip shipments to any country. Currently, these export controls are in place for approximately 40 countries, but the potential regulation would cover all countries. If enacted, the rule could significantly impact AI development worldwide, as access to AI chips (like those sold by Nvidia) are prerequisite to building facilities for training and running AI models. Bloomberg has the story. 

Numbers.

• $220 million. The approximate cost of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s advertising campaign. 
• $115.6 billion. DHS’s fiscal year 2026 requested budget. 
• 8. The number of confirmed DHS secretaries in the department’s 23-year history. 
• 13. The approximate length, in months, of Noem’s tenure as DHS secretary. 
• 6. The approximate length, in months, of John F. Kelly’s tenure as DHS secretary in the first Trump administration. 
• 16. The approximate length, in months, of Kirstjen M. Nielsen’s subsequent tenure as DHS secretary in the first Trump administration. 

The extras.

• One year ago today we had just published Isaac’s initial thoughts after six weeks of parenting.
• The most clicked link in Thursday’s newsletter was Admiral Brad Cooper’s update on Iran.
• Nothing to do with politics: A potential insider bet on the existence of aliens.
• Thursday’s survey: 3,326 readers responded to our survey on U.S. military actions in Iran with 44% saying they have not been personally impacted at all. “I read the news Saturday morning, thought ‘Oh, so that happened,’ and have kept forgetting about it since. It’s about as relevant to my life as, say, a celebrity death,” one respondent said. “I have a nephew on a ship in the region and an ex-coworker who has not been able to return home from Qatar, and yet we’re carrying on as if nothing is happening. It’s rather scary,” said another.

Have a nice day.

The neglected tropical disease leprosy, which can lead to permanent nerve damage if left untreated, persists in more than 120 countries around the globe. This month, Chile became the first country in the Americas — and the second worldwide — to reach an elimination status for the disease. “This milestone reflects decades of sustained public health efforts, including prevention strategies, early diagnosis, effective treatment, continuous follow-up, and the commitment of health teams across the country,” Ximena Aguilera, Chile’s minister of health, said. The World Health Organization has the story.