Kristi Noem reacts to accusations of affair with Corey Lewandowski

President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday after months of controversy.

The Republican president will tap Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her by the end of the month, he said on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.

Noem was fired after months of controversy, including the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers in Minneapolis and lawmakers' questions over a $220 million ​advertising contract.

Her departure, after emerging as the face of an aggressive immigration crackdown that had grown unpopular according to recent polling, could allow Trump to reset his approach on immigration policy, a centerpiece of his agenda.

Shortly after Trump announced Noem's replacement, she posted on X: "We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to ​make America safe again."

During congressional hearings this week, Democrats and some Republicans criticized Noem for her approach to immigration enforcement and management of her department, including concern over a $220 million advertising campaign that featured Noem ​heavily and had been awarded to two longtime Republican operatives without a standard bidding process.

Noem's personal life also came under scrutiny, with a Democratic lawmaker on Wednesday asking ⁠whether she had a sexual relationship with top aide Corey Lewandowski. Both are married.

Noem called the question from US Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove "tabloid garbage." Lewandowski did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Trump told Reuters on Thursday that ​he did not sign off on the ad campaign, which prominently featured Noem and included a scene of her on horseback at Mount Rushmore, in her home state of South Dakota.

Shortly after the news of her replacement surfaced online, Kristi Noem was trolled over alleged affair with  Corey Lewandowski.

Her alleged  publicly funded sky yacht trips with Corey Lewandowski were mentioned in a series social media posts,  She was also accused of  funneling $100 million contracts to her friends. None of allegations could be verified against Kristi Noem.