Department of Homeland Security officials have alleged that President Donald Trump was aware of Kristi Noem’s $200 million advertising campaign, contradicting his own claims of ignorance, according to a new report. The costly commercials, which began airing early last year, featured Noem on horseback near Mount Rushmore warning illegal immigrants to stay away. They were among the most expensive government advertising blitzes in history.
Trump fired Noem from DHS on March 5, with an unnamed senior administration official telling NBC News that the pricey campaign was a key factor, alongside her handling of the Minnesota immigration crackdown and alleged feuds with other agencies. The president told the outlet: “I wasn’t thrilled with it. I spent less money than that to become president. I didn’t know about it.”
Noem disputed this account, telling lawmakers during congressional hearings that Trump was fully briefed on the promotional offensive. Now, multiple sources have backed her up, with unnamed sources telling The Daily Beast that Trump had been briefed and was deeply involved. One source said the president “knew about the campaign and wanted it to happen.”
Contracts for the campaign were reportedly awarded to companies with ties to Noem and a top adviser. Safe America Media, established by GOP operative Mike McElwain just days before the contract was issued, received at least $16 million. McElwain’s business partner, Pat McCarthy, has connections to several of the president’s close aides. The Daily Beast reported that the White House ordered Safe America Media to be considered for the campaign in February 2025 and later approved the firm.
A White House spokesperson denied involvement, stating: “Contracts are awarded by individual agencies. The White House has no involvement in an agency’s contract decisions.” A senior DHS official called for a full audit, saying: “We would be happy to have a full audit on this tomorrow... but only the White House can agree to that.”
In a resurfaced interview from February 2025, Noem claimed the campaign was Trump’s own idea, saying he told her: “I want you to do those [ads] for the border... everywhere, not just in the United States, but I want them around the world.” Since her departure, Noem has not publicly pushed back, but an unnamed official said she felt “thrown under the bus.” Several Democratic lawmakers have referred her to the Department of Justice for a perjury investigation over her testimony about the ads.
