President Donald Trump said Thursday that former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem falsely claimed she had his approval for a $220 million advertising campaign that prominently featured her, as reported[1] by The New York Post.
Trump addressed the matter in comments to Reuters, stating that he had no prior knowledge of the ad campaign when it was launched.
“I never knew anything about it,” Trump told Reuters.
President Trump said Thursday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lied to Congress about getting his approval for a $220 million ad campaign featuring herself
— Wake Up NJ New Jersey (@wakeupnj) March 5, 2026[3]
The remarks came after Noem testified to Congress that the president had approved the campaign.
According to two sources close to the White House who spoke with The New York Post, Trump was angered by the claim and viewed the testimony as inaccurate.
Those sources said Trump’s reaction to the testimony played a role in his decision to remove Noem from her position leading the Department of Homeland Security.
The controversy centers on a $220 million advertising campaign tied to the Department of Homeland Security that featured Noem.
Lawmakers raised questions about the campaign during congressional testimony, including whether the secretary had secured approval from the president before moving forward.
According to the sources cited by The Post, Trump strongly disputed Noem’s assertion that he had authorized the effort.
Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, also referenced the dispute after speaking with Trump about the matter.
Kennedy told CBS that the two sides have conflicting accounts regarding the president’s role in approving the advertising initiative.
“Put it this way, his recollection and her recollection are different,” Kennedy said Thursday.
The disagreement quickly escalated into a larger political issue surrounding Noem’s tenure at DHS.
JUST IN: Bill Melugin is reporting that President Trump called Sen. John Kennedy furious that Kristi Noem testified the president personally signed off on a $200M ad contract for DHS
The ad testimony is being described as the “final” straw
Later Thursday, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had fired[7] Noem from her post as Homeland Security secretary.
In the same announcement, the president said he would nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, to replace her at the helm of the department.
The move marked a sudden leadership change at one of the federal government’s largest agencies, which oversees border security, immigration enforcement, disaster response, and several other national security responsibilities.
Noem, a former governor of South Dakota and former member of Congress, had been serving as secretary during Trump’s second term in office.
The dispute over the advertising campaign surfaced during congressional questioning when lawmakers asked about the origins and authorization of the $220 million promotional effort.
According to reports, the campaign prominently featured Noem and was intended to promote messaging related to the department’s activities.
However, Trump’s statement to Reuters indicated that he had not been aware of the campaign before it became public.
Image Credit: White House
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White House sources told The Post that the president was particularly frustrated by Noem’s testimony to Congress, stating that he had approved the campaign.
That disagreement ultimately culminated in Trump’s decision Thursday to remove her from the position.
Trump’s announcement on Truth Social confirmed the leadership change and identified Mullin as his pick to lead the department moving forward.
Mullin, who currently represents Oklahoma in the U.S. Senate, will now be nominated to oversee the Department of Homeland Security following Noem’s dismissal.
The transition comes amid heightened attention from lawmakers over how the department manages large communications budgets and public messaging campaigns.
For now, the dispute between Trump and Noem over the advertising campaign has become the central issue surrounding her departure from the administration.
