Photo: Alamy
Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for public affairs and a prominent ally of President Trump, is leaving her post next week, officials confirmed Tuesday.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the departure in a post on X, praising McLaughlin’s work and describing her service as critical to the agency’s mission.
“Tricia McLaughlin has served with exceptional dedication, tenacity, and professionalism as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland. She has played an instrumental role in advancing our mission to secure the homeland and keep Americans safe,” Noem wrote. “While we are sad to see her leave, we are grateful for her service and wish Tricia nothing but success.”
McLaughlin also confirmed her departure, saying she was grateful for her time in the role.
“I am immensely proud of the team we built and the historic accomplishments achieved by this Administration and the Department of Homeland Security,” McLaughlin wrote on X. “I look forward to continuing the fight ahead!”
According to a person familiar with the matter, McLaughlin had planned to leave as early as December but delayed her exit amid several high-profile incidents involving DHS. Those included the fatal shooting of two individuals in Minneapolis last month, an incident McLaughlin described as “an act of domestic terrorism.” She said at the time that an ICE officer fired “defensive shots” after a vehicle was allegedly used against law enforcement.
McLaughlin frequently defended the administration’s immigration enforcement policies, including large-scale ICE operations in Minnesota and other states. She regularly cited agency data showing increased assaults on immigration officers and often responded directly to critics on social media.
She also defended DHS detention practices, arguing that individuals in ICE custody receive appropriate medical care and a level of treatment she said exceeded that of many U.S. prisons.
An Ohio native, McLaughlin previously served in the first Trump administration at the Treasury Department under then-Secretary Steven Mnuchin and later worked on arms control issues at the State Department. McLaughlin said Katie Zachariah, a Fox News contributor, will take over the DHS communications post.