Ex-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spent an eye-popping amount on hair, makeup and horse rentals to produce a series of pro-deportation ads that ended up costing hundreds of millions of dollars to get to viewers.

Last year, ProPublica reported that taxpayers shelled out $220 million for a campaign meant to deter illegal immigration and urge undocumented migrants to “self-deport.” Now, both CNN and The Daily Beast have documents detailing the cost of the most infamous videos, which show Noem riding horseback in front of Mount Rushmore while praising President Donald Trump and America’s “vision and grit.”

“Freedom’s a precious thing, and we defend it vigorously,” Noem says while giddied up in cowboy garb in one of the most widely publicized ads. “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 financial records submitted by The Strategy Group, a political consulting company whose CEO is married to Noem’s former DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, those production costs were billed to another company set up just eight days before it was awarded a $143 million federal contract of its own.

That company, Safe America Media, used the bulk of its taxpayer-funded prize to buy TV airtime or spots on social media, but records provided to Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) show its spared little expense on the actual making of the ads, which racked up $226,137 in production costs. Welch and Blumenthal also shared a breakdown of the costs on their own websites.

According to records, it spent a total of $286,137 through its subcontractor, The Strategy Group, for five shoots that were spliced into 45 video ads, six radio spots and a package of professional photos of a naturalization ceremony at the South Dakota landmark, along with a $60,000 fee marked as a “signing bonus.”

During those five, multiple hair and makeup professionals invoiced a total of $3,800 in services. Champion horse racer Jill Moody was also paid $20,000 for the costs of renting, transporting and boarding three horses for production, according to a spokesperson for The Strategy Group. Another $500 was spent at a Sioux Falls, South Dakota magic store called Magic Makers Inc.

“This looks like waste, fraud, and abuse to me,” Welch said in a statement.

“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 around the media splurge appeared to be the final blow for Noem and her controversial tenure leading DHS. During an explosive congressional hearing earlier this month, the then-secretary testified that Trump approved the big-budget ad contract.

He denied signing off on the nine-figure ad budget while speaking to Reuters on the very day he demoted Noem from DHS’ top spot to special envoy for the new “Shield of the Americas” initiative.

Noem’s shoot at Mount Rushmore took place Oct. 2, 2025, which happened to be day two of a government shutdown that left thousands of federal employees working without pay.

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