google
On March 5, 2026, Donald Trump told
Reuters in a phone interview that he "never knew anything about" a $220 million border security advertising campaign featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Reuters
The statement followed bipartisan scrutiny over the contract, which was awarded without standard bidding processes to firms connected to the secretary.
Reuters
Key details regarding this statement include:
Contradictory Testimony: While Trump claimed he was unaware of the expenditure, Secretary Noem had previously testified to the House Judiciary Committee that Trump knew about the ad campaign ahead of her spending the money.
Cabinet Shake-up: Shortly after the comment to Reuters, Trump announced that Noem would be replaced as Homeland Security Secretary by Senator Markwayne Mullin.
Context of Fraud Allegations: The statement was made amidst broader claims by Trump regarding "tremendous fraud" and "wasteful spending" in the government.
Admitted to Other Delays: While denying knowledge of this specific, controversial ad spend, Trump previously admitted in 2019 to delaying military aid to Ukraine to push for investigations, although he claimed that delay was unrelated to a quid pro quo.
Reuters +4
The Reuters report indicated this was part of a major shake-up of his Cabinet.
[Hidden Content]