Kristi Noem is Out After $250-Million Scandal

Photo of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem posing on horseback for marketing campaign. Photo from ProPublica.org.

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Kristi Noem is being replaced as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, as Donald Trump announced on March 5th. “I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026,” Trump posted on social media. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin will replace her. The replacement comes after a tumultuous first year, padded with drama and scandals. The biggest one cost Americans nearly a quarter billion dollars.

The Summary

Kristi Noem was given a $220 million dollar budget for a DHS marketing campaign in 2025. In February of that year, DHS, under Noem, awarded contracts to vendors. These contracts totaled were for a nationwide and international ad campaign. It was a large sum of money, but there was a goal.

The purpose of the campaign was to encourage undocumented citizens to self-deport or “face being hunted down.” Some cheered on the campaign ads that sometimes featured Noem, but journalists followed the money. What they found was unbelievable.

A ProPublica investigation in mid-November of that same year indicated the $220 million was misappropriated. Their report revealed that DHS had skipped the normal competitive bidding process by declaring a “national emergency” to fast-track the contracts. It appeared the funds had been given out to people with close ties to Noem.

Safe America Media was awarded $143 million. It is a vague Delaware-based LLC incorporated only 11 days before the contract was granted. ProPublica and Congressional investigators found that Safe America Media subcontracted work to The Strategy Group. The CEO of The Strategy Group is Ben Yoho, the husband of Tricia McLaughlin. She worked as Noem’s chief spokesperson at DHS. And this was not the first time Noem had funneled money to this firm.

In 2023, while she was Governor of South Dakota, her administration awarded The Strategy Group an $8.5 million state contract for the “Freedom Works Here” marketing campaign. Furthermore, the People Who Think, LLC was given $77 million. This firm is run by Jay Connaughton, who’s a former Trump campaign advisor. Obviously, Noem’s connections to these companies is problematic, and her error on March 3rd might have led to Trump’s decision to replace her.

The scandal got as bad as it could during a March 3, 2026, Congressional hearing. Noem claimed that Trump had personally approved the $220 million spending spree. But reports surfaced immediately after saying that Trump was “furious” and denied approving the campaign which lead to her being replaced by Senator Markwayne Mullin. 

The Takeaway

Kristi Noem is out as Secretary of Homeland Security after seemingly misappropriating $220 million in funds from the DHS marketing campaign. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin takes over on March 31st. Although she is being replaced, Kristi Noem must answer for what she did. There must be an investigation into her actions. She is out, but the storm is just beginning.

Jermaine Reed, MFA is an educator and the Editor in Chief of TheReedersBlock. FOLLOW him for the boldest perspectives.