Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, taking the oath of office at the White House one day after winning confirmation in the Senate.  A positive change.

     At a ceremony in the Oval Office, President Trump called Mullin a "great American patriot" and said he has "been a close and vital partner in helping us secure the border, stop migrant crime, end the scourge of illegal drugs and make America safe again and make America great again."  Attorney General Pam Bondi administered the oath as Mullin's family looked on. The Oklahoma Republican said the moment was "the most nervous I've ever been" and vowed to hit the ground running.

     "No one is going to outwork me, and I'm not going to let any of them outwork me. The president has entrusted me with this, and failure is not an option," Mullin said.   His appointment finalizes Mr. Trump's shakeup of DHS following the ouster of Kristi Noem, whose leadership of the department came under intense scrutiny in recent months.

     The Senate confirmed Mullin in a 54-45 vote  Martin Heinrich of New Mexico voted in favor of Mullin's confirmation. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole Republican to oppose him.  Noem resigned as secretary earlier this month. Her handling of two deadly shootings by federal agents during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis in January prompted criticism from Democrats and Republicans and kickstarted an impasse over funding for the agency that has persisted. But it was criticism over Noem's advertising spending at a congressional hearing days before her ouster that appeared to seal her fate.