The Senate confirmed Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as the ninth Homeland Security secretary, capping a sprint to replace embattled outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem.

It also caps off a 13-year career in Congress that began in the House and saw Mullin score a seat in the Senate in 2021 where he became the de facto bridge between both chambers, helping to build trust between the House and Senate during last year’s push to pass the «big, beautiful bill.» Ahead of the vote he arrived flanked by his family, and was excited to cast his final vote on himself.  

Mullin, who was picked by President Donald Trump earlier this month to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was confirmed on a largely party-line vote. Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., joined nearly every Republican to clinch his nomination.

Heinrich said he bucked his party because he has seen that Mullin — who co-chairs the Senate Legislative Branch spending committee with him — «is not someone who can simply be bullied into changing his views.»

MULLIN’S CONFIRMATION SURVIVES KEY TEST VOTE AS DHS REMAINS SHUT DOWN

«And I look forward to having a secretary who doesn’t take their orders from Stephen Miller,» Heinrich said.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote against Mullin, citing their chilly relationship and Mullin’s past comments that his 2017 assault was «justified.»

Mullin’s confirmation also saw the close of a whirlwind month in which Noem was reassigned after an explosive pair of hearings on Capitol Hill, as well as the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, who were fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

SCHUMER GAMBIT FAILS AS DHS SHUTDOWN HITS 36 DAYS AND AIRPORT LINES GROW

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies in a hearing in Washington in March 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Still, Noem’s ousting and Mullin’s ascension have done little to shift Senate Democrats from their position. They continue to demand sweeping reforms to ICE and have so far blocked funding to the agency five times, along with several GOP attempts to temporarily extend funding to DHS.

The path to ending the shutdown appeared to become more complicated over the weekend.

Both sides began meeting for the first time during the shutdown, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., characterizing the talks as «productive.»

However, Trump threw a wrench into negotiations Sunday night, writing on Truth Social: «I don’t think we should make any deal with the Crazy, Country Destroying, Radical Left Democrats unless, and until, they vote with Republicans to pass ‘THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.’»

GOP SENATOR’S GAMBIT EXPOSES FALSE DEM CLAIMS ABOUT SUPPORTING VOTER ID

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on March 23, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. President Trump is traveling to Tennessee before returning to Washington. (Roberto Schmidt / Getty Images)

«In other words, lump everything together as one, and VOTE!!! Kill the Filibuster, and stay in D.C. for Easter, if necessary,» Trump said.

That comes after Thune suggested to the president that Republicans could carve out ICE and Customs and Border Protection funding from a broader DHS package and instead fund those agencies through budget reconciliation.

Canceling recess may be a hard sell in the upper chamber, given that votes this past weekend were plagued by absences. When asked if he would cancel the upcoming two-week break, Thune said, «We’ll see.» 

A cohort of Senate Republicans met with Trump ahead of Mullin’s confirmation vote. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told reporters after that the meeting went «really well.» 

When asked if Republicans had a solution to end the closure, she said, «We do.» 

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Still, Senate Democrats remain unified in their opposition to the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

«We’re ready to meet with the White House today to keep talking,» Schumer said. «In fact, we were going to meet this morning with Tom Homan. But apparently the White House pulled that meeting because of Donald Trump’s temper tantrum. They’re all scrambling around there in the White House. They don’t know what to do.» 

El dictador norcoreano, Kim Jong-un, amenazó a Corea del Sur al afirmar que será tratada como “el Estado más hostil” y que cualquier acción en su contra recibirá una respuesta “sin la menor consideración ni vacilación”. El mensaje se dio en un discurso ante el Parlamento, donde también dejó en claro que su país no renunciará a su condición de potencia nuclear.

Durante su intervención, Kim sostuvo que el desarrollo de armamento atómico es una política definitiva.

“Seguiremos consolidando firmemente nuestro estatus como Estado con armas nucleares como un curso irreversible”, afirmó. En esa línea, remarcó que el fortalecimiento del arsenal forma parte de una estrategia central de defensa.

El líder comunista indicó que el país continuará ampliando sus capacidades militares, especialmente en el ámbito nuclear.

“Expandiremos y avanzaremos nuestro disuasivo nuclear de autodefensa”, señaló, al referirse a la modernización de su poder bélico. También aseguró que las fuerzas armadas deben mantener una “preparación precisa” ante posibles amenazas.

El discurso se produjo en un contexto de endurecimiento de la postura de Pyongyang hacia Seúl.

Kim abandonó referencias previas a una posible reunificación y definió la relación con Corea del Sur en términos de confrontación directa. “Designaremos a Corea del Sur como el Estado más hostil y actuaremos en consecuencia”, afirmó.

En ese marco, el dictador norcoreano advirtió que cualquier intento de afectar la soberanía de su país tendrá consecuencias. “Haremos que paguen sin piedad”, expresó, al referirse a eventuales acciones del gobierno surcoreano o de sus aliados.

Además de las cuestiones militares, Kim abordó otros aspectos de la política nacional, incluyendo la economía. En su exposición, llamó a implementar un nuevo plan de desarrollo que busca modernizar sectores industriales, aumentar la producción energética y mejorar el suministro de alimentos. Estas medidas se enmarcan en un escenario interno marcado por limitaciones estructurales y sanciones internacionales.

El Parlamento norcoreano aprobó cambios legales y un nuevo presupuesto estatal que destina una proporción significativa del gasto a la defensa. Parte de esos recursos estarán orientados al fortalecimiento del programa nuclear y a mejorar la capacidad operativa de las fuerzas armadas.

Kim también rechazó la posibilidad de negociar el desarme nuclear a cambio de beneficios económicos o garantías de seguridad. Según explicó, el país considera que mantener su arsenal le ha permitido evitar conflictos y avanzar en otros ámbitos. En ese sentido, defendió la estrategia adoptada por su gobierno como una decisión correcta.

El líder norcoreano responsabilizó a Estados Unidos y a sus aliados por la tensión en la región, al señalar que la presencia de capacidades militares estratégicas cerca de la península coreana contribuye a la inestabilidad. Sin embargo, afirmó que su país ya no se percibe únicamente en una posición defensiva.

Las declaraciones se producen tras su reciente reelección al frente del principal órgano de decisión política del país, lo que refuerza su control sobre las instituciones. El sistema político norcoreano concentra el poder en el liderazgo central, y los procesos legislativos suelen respaldar las decisiones del Ejecutivo.

En paralelo, Corea del Norte continúa profundizando vínculos con otros actores internacionales. Durante la sesión parlamentaria se difundió un mensaje del presidente ruso, Vladimir Putin, en el que destacó la cooperación entre ambos países y manifestó su intención de fortalecer la relación estratégica.

(Con información de AFP y Reuters)

A top House Democrat is pushing back on calls for a probe into Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, hiring a wanted fugitive as a security guard before he was fatally shot in a standoff with SWAT officers. 

«I don’t know if that’s the House’s place to investigate,» Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. 

Diamon-Mazairre Robinson, 39, who used the alias «Mike King» while employed by Crockett, was shot and killed by Dallas SWAT officers earlier in March after a standoff in a hospital parking garage. Police were responding to an active warrant for him after allegedly impersonating law enforcement and recovered 11 firearms during the operation, some of which were stolen.

«It depends if she was using campaign money or House resources, but that’s something for House Administration [Committee] to deal with if that’s the case,» Aguilar added.

CROCKETT WARNS OF NATIONWIDE PROTESTS OVER ICE SHOOTING: ‘STATE-SANCTIONED EXECUTION’

Crockett’s office paid King at least $6,300 for security services in 2025, according to a Fox News Digital review of Crockett’s members representational allowance (MRA). The congresswoman’s House campaign account also doled out $340 to King for security services in March 2025, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

The MRA funding bucket — made up of taxpayer dollars — is effectively an operating budget for each lawmaker to pay staff, cover security expenses, and handle other operational costs.

Fox News Digital reached out to the House Administration Committee for comment. 

JASMINE CROCKETT UNDER FIRE AFTER REPORTEDLY HAVING ARMED GUARDS REMOVE ‘WHITE GIRL’ REPORTER FROM RALLY

Crockett has denied any wrongdoing and said her office followed every House protocol while employing Robinson, who she claimed did not raise any suspicions while a member of her security detail.

«There was never any reason to suspect that he wasn’t who he held himself out to be,» Crockett said in a statement released by her office.

Rather, Crockett has blamed «shortcomings» in the vetting process that failed to verify Robinson’s identity or catch his lengthy rap sheet, including multiple arrests for theft and violating probation.

«We are fortunate that this is someone who used those loopholes without malice,» Crockett said, adding that a preliminary review showed that Robinson had not committed any violent crimes.

Crockett dismissed questions about whether she knew about Robinson’s criminal history before hiring him during a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

«I’m going to refer you to my page,» the Texas Democrat said, referring to her social media post. «I made a statement and I said there would be no additional statements. You need someone to read it for you? I can find someone to do that.»

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, declined to provide additional comment regarding her fugitive bodyguard when pressed by Fox News Digital. (Fox News Digital Hired/Nicholas Ballasy)

JASMINE CROCKETT SUGGESTS GOP RIGGED HER DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY ELECTION: ‘THIS IS WHAT REPUBLICANS LIKE TO DO’

House GOP leadership has voiced openness to a probe, but cautioned that lawmakers are still learning details about the incident.

«I need to get the facts on did he have a background check … but there are processes in place,» House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital. «We’ll look at the possible need to tighten that up.» 

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, did not answer definitively when asked by Fox News Digital whether Republicans planned to investigate the incident, saying he was still reviewing the matter.

Aguilar said he did not expect Republicans to launch a formal investigation, citing Crockett’s loss in the Texas Senate primary against state legislator James Talarico, D-Texas.

«Jasmine didn’t win, so I assume that they’re probably not going to be focused on her as much,» Aguilar said, referring to House Republicans. 

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., signaled openness to a House probe, but said he needs to review the incident further. (Getty Images)

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Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., said the incident is likely to spark conversations among lawmakers about scrutinizing the vetting process lawmakers use for security personnel.

«We need to tighten up the processes around members hiring security,» Walkinshaw told Fox News Digital.

Crockett’s office did not respond to a request for comment about how Robinson was vetted before being hired as a member of her security detail.