ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump indicated Thursday that the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was driven less by dissatisfaction with her performance and more by a desire to appoint Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, to the Cabinet role.

Speaking publicly for the first time since dismissing Noem, Trump praised her more than year-long tenure and also spoke positively about Mullin.

“She’s a fine person. She did a good job. I’m a big fan of the senator from Oklahoma. It wasn’t a hard choice,” Trump told NBC in a phone call.

He rejected suggestions that a specific incident triggered her removal and instead commended her handling of border issues.

However, Trump expressed criticism over Noem’s exchange with Sen. John Kennedy during congressional testimony earlier this week.

“I wasn’t thrilled with it. I spent less money than that to become president. I didn’t know about it,” he said, referring to her involvement in approving federal contracts, including a $220 million advertising campaign urging immigrants to self-deport.

Noem faced additional scrutiny following an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis in which federal officers fatally shot two US citizens. At the Senate hearing, she told Kennedy that Trump had been aware of her decision to authorize the costly ad campaign, whose contracts were issued through a process that limited competitive bidding.