President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is replacing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), effective by the end of March. The move came shortly after Trump told Reuters he was unaware of and did not approve a controversial $220 million border security advertising campaign that prominently featured Noem.
"I never knew anything about it," Trump said in a phone interview with Reuters.Trump posted the replacement announcement on Truth Social soon after the interview.
The $220 million ad campaign, aimed at promoting border security and encouraging self-deportation amid Trump's immigration crackdown, drew bipartisan criticism during Noem's congressional testimony on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lawmakers from both parties questioned the contracting process, lack of standard competitive bidding, and awards to Republican-connected firms.
Sen. John Kennedy asks Sec. Kristi Noem: “How do you square that concern for waste—which I share—with the fact that you have spent $220 million running television advertisements that feature you prominently?”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 3, 2026
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In a key exchange, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) pressed Noem on whether Trump had approved the spending: "The president approved ahead of time you spending $220 million running TV ads across the country in which you are featured prominently?"
"Yes, sir. We went through the legal processes, did it correctly," Noem replied.The ads included scenes of Noem on horseback at Mount Rushmore in her home state of South Dakota.
Noem defended the campaign as competitively awarded and legally handled, with no political appointees involved. DHS cited urgency over illegal immigration to justify limited competition among four companies.
Federal records show the main contracts went to Safe America Media ($143 million), incorporated in Delaware just a week before winning the award, and Louisiana-based People Who Think ($77 million).
Both firms have ties to Republican operatives and did not respond to comment requests.
A subcontractor, The Strategy Group—run by the husband of outgoing DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin—received $226,000.Noem also faced scrutiny over earlier remarks labeling the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis as "domestic terrorism."
The ad campaign controversy, combined with Noem's testimony claiming presidential approval, appears to have contributed to her ouster as the first major Cabinet change in Trump's second term.