Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is stepping down.
McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, has been one of the most vocal figures of the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
"I am enormously grateful to President Trump, Secretary Noem, and the American people for the honor and privilege to serve this great nation," she said in a statement to Scripps News. "I am immensely proud of the team we built and the historic accomplishments achieved by this Administration and the Department of Homeland Security."
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised McLaughlin for her work.
“Tricia McLaughlin has served with exceptional dedication, tenacity, and professionalism as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. She has played an instrumental role in advancing our mission to secure the homeland and keep Americans safe. While we are sad to see her leave, we are grateful for her service and wish Tricia nothing but success,” Department of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X.
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McLaughlin has logged numerous media appearances on cable networks and podcasts promoting and defending President Trump’s border crackdown and immigration policy reforms, and frequently pushed back against news reports about the agency on social media, garnering praise from officials, including the president.
“Tricia really knows her “STUFF!” President Trump wrote on Truth Social in December following one of her Fox News appearances.
McLaughlin started planning to leave in December, but according to people briefed on her exit, she pushed back her departure in the aftermath of the shootings in Minnesota of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
In the hours after the shooting of 37-year-old Pretti, DHS said Pretti “committed an act of domestic terrorism” and “violently resisted.” But video showed Pretti was trying to help someone shoved by ICE agents before he was shot and killed.
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Noem has been under heightened public pressure following the response to the shooting. While President Trump has publicly shared confidence in Noem, the administration also sent border czar Tom Homan to lead the response on the ground in Minnesota.
Following last month’s shootings, congressional Democrats also called for reforms to immigration enforcement, including requiring body cameras and banning masks. Republicans blocked the proposals. The dispute led to a partial government shutdown impacting funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Customs and Border Protection. ICE funding was not affected because it was included in a separate bill.
McLaughlin plans to leave next week, according to multiple media reports.
"Lauren Bis, an extraordinary talent, who has been with me since Day 1 of the Trump Administration will take over as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs," McLaughlin said. "Katie Zacharia, a dynamic and effective voice in media, will serve as Spokeswoman and Deputy Assistant Secretary."
