Ex-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spent an eye-popping quantity on hair, make-up and horse leases to supply a sequence of pro-deportation advertisements that ended up costing a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to get to viewers.
Last yr, ProPublica reported that taxpayers shelled out $220 million for a marketing campaign meant to discourage unlawful immigration and urge undocumented migrants to “self-deport.” Now, each CNN and The Daily Beast have paperwork detailing the price of essentially the most notorious movies, which present Noem using horseback in entrance of Mount Rushmore whereas praising President Donald Trump and America’s “vision and grit.”
“Freedom’s a precious thing, and we defend it vigorously,” Noem says whereas giddied up in cowboy garb in one of the extensively publicized advertisements. “You cross the border illegally, we’ll find you. Break our laws, we’ll punish you. Harm American citizens, there will be consequences.”
According to monetary data submitted by The Strategy Group, a political consulting firm whose CEO is married to Noem’s former DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, these manufacturing prices have been billed to a different firm arrange simply eight days earlier than it was awarded a $143 million federal contract of its personal.
That firm, Safe America Media, used the majority of its taxpayer-funded prize to purchase TV airtime or spots on social media, however data supplied to Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) present its spared little expense on the precise making of the advertisements, which racked up $226,137 in manufacturing prices. Welch and Blumenthal additionally shared a breakdown of the prices on their very own web sites.
According to data, it spent a complete of $286,137 via its subcontractor, The Strategy Group, for 5 shoots that have been spliced into 45 video advertisements, six radio spots and a bundle {of professional} pictures of a naturalization ceremony on the South Dakota landmark, together with a $60,000 charge marked as a “signing bonus.”
During these 5, a number of hair and make-up professionals invoiced a complete of $3,800 in providers. Champion horse racer Jill Moody was additionally paid $20,000 for the prices of renting, transporting and boarding three horses for manufacturing, based on a spokesperson for The Strategy Group. Another $500 was spent at a Sioux Falls, South Dakota magic retailer referred to as Magic Makers Inc.
“This looks like waste, fraud, and abuse to me,” Welch stated in a press release.
“While leading the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem and her senior team allowed tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to be spent on wasteful production costs, a shady signing bonus, and a very expensive horse — and that’s just what we know so far.”
Questions across the media splurge seemed to be the ultimate blow for Noem and her controversial tenure main DHS. During an explosive congressional listening to earlier this month, the then-secretary testified that Trump accepted the big-budget advert contract.
He denied signing off on the nine-figure advert price range whereas chatting with Reuters on the very day he demoted Noem from DHS’ high spot to particular envoy for the brand new “Shield of the Americas” initiative.
Noem’s shoot at Mount Rushmore came about Oct. 2, 2025, which occurred to be day two of a authorities shutdown that left 1000’s of federal staff working with out pay.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/noem-cowboy-mount-rushmore-ads-production-costs_n_69c166c0e4b04b9b3f19532f