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2 revisions for "The Cracks Widen: From Noem's Firing to the FDA Vaccine Chief's Exit, Trump's Second-Term Shakeup Accelerates"
The firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — the first cabinet casualty of Trump's second term — has been followed within days by the announced departure of FDA vaccine chief Vinay Prasad, signaling an accelerating pattern of personnel upheaval across the administration. From a $220 million ad scandal to deadly immigration enforcement operations to regulatory chaos at the FDA, the turbulence extends far beyond any single official, raising questions about governance and accountability as Year Two begins.
President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5, 2026, making her the first cabinet-level departure of his second term after a tumultuous tenure marked by a $220 million self-promoting ad campaign, two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, and a fatal breach of trust when she publicly claimed Trump approved spending he never authorized. The firing — and her replacement with Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin — marks the end of a remarkably stable first year for Trump's cabinet, but signals the kind of Year Two shakeup that Brookings Institution analysts have been predicting, even as senior staff turnover already sits at 29%.