Trump Accuses Kristi Noem of False Testimony to Congress Over $220M DHS Ads
President Donald Trump removed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after a growing dispute over a $220 million DHS advertising campaign that became a flashpoint in congressional hearings.
The controversy escalated when Noem testified that Trump approved the taxpayer-funded campaign, which prominently featured her promoting immigration enforcement policies.
But Trump later told Reuters he did not authorize the ads, creating a direct contradiction between the president and his own cabinet secretary.
According to Reuters and the Associated Press, lawmakers from both parties had already been questioning the campaign’s contracting process and spending during recent hearings.
Download a FREE Pocket Constitution NOW
Records showed two companies with political connections received the contracts, including one firm created just days before receiving a $143 million award.
Shortly after the testimony and rising criticism, Trump announced that Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma would replace Noem as DHS secretary pending Senate confirmation.
Noem will instead take a newly created role as Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a regional security initiative the administration says will focus on Western Hemisphere threats.
Follow The Coffman Chronicle on NewsBreak for daily breaking political coverage.