“He has few friends and supporters in the DHS,” said another DHS official.

Mullin, at least publicly, has appeared fond of Edgar. The deputy secretary has accompanied Mullin to several congressional hearings, and just last month, the DHS secretary even praised his No. 2 before the House Appropriations Homeland Security subcommittee, calling Edgar “truly invaluable” to him.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson disputed the story and said that “President [Donald] Trump has total confidence in his DHS team, including Deputy Secretary Edgar.”

Brian Cavanaugh, who has been nominated to be undersecretary for management at DHS, is seen as a potential replacement for Edgar, according to a current and former DHS official as well as another person familiar with the matter. Cavanaugh, viewed as aligned with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, was previously at the Office of Management and Budget before moving to DHS.

Cavanaugh didn’t respond to requests for comment, but at least one person familiar with the matter said he has been approached as a potential replacement for Edgar.

Cavanaugh is not Senate-confirmed yet, but two former DHS officials familiar with the matter said there have been talks that Cavanaugh could move into Edgar’s position once he’s confirmed to an undersecretary role.

In December last year, Trump announced he was nominating Edgar to serve as ambassador to El Salvador, a nomination the White House withdrew this spring. Edgar, a U.S. Navy veteran who served as DHS’ chief financial officer in the first Trump administration and has decades of private-sector executive experience, returned to the agency in April as Mullin’s second-in-command.

Trump had tapped Edgar for the El Salvador gig after his relationship with Noem deteriorated, POLITICO reported in April. His previous departure, which a former official described as an ousting, also came as Noem’s tenure appeared imperiled.