Trump fires DHS Secretary Kristi Noem after $142.8M no-bid contract scandal revealed in Senate testimony

President Trump fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5, 2026, following two days of Senate Judiciary Committee testimony revealing $142.8 million in no-bid contracts awarded to Safe America Media LLC — a shell company incorporated 8 days before receiving its first contract. Noem's sworn testimony that adviser Corey Lewandowski had 'no' role in approving contracts was contradicted by ProPublica reporting of internal DHS records. Trump told Reuters he 'never knew anything about' the $220M ad campaign, contradicting Noem's sworn claim he approved it. Sen. Markwayne Mullin nominated as replacement.

President Trump fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5, 2026, two days after devastating Senate Judiciary Committee testimony exposed a network of no-bid contracts channeled through shell companies to political allies.

The contract chain: DHS awarded $142.8 million across three task orders ($62.8M + $65M + $15M) to Safe America Media LLC, a Delaware company incorporated on February 6, 2025 — eight days before receiving its first contract. The company had no website, no headquarters, no employees, and no federal contracting history. It was registered to the Virginia home of Republican operative Michael McElwain, former NRCC Political Director.

The subcontracting loop: Safe America Media subcontracted the actual work to The Strategy Group, an Ohio firm run by Ben Yoho — who is married to Tricia McLaughlin, Noem’s DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. McLaughlin’s office funded the contracts her husband’s firm was performing. Yoho was brought into Noem’s orbit by Corey Lewandowski, her top DHS adviser.

The perjury question: Under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 3, Noem stated Lewandowski had “no” role in approving contracts. ProPublica subsequently published internal DHS records showing Lewandowski personally approved contracts, with current and former employees confirming he routinely signs off on large expenditures. Separately, when Sen. John Kennedy asked whether Trump had pre-approved the $220M campaign, Noem answered “Yes, sir.” Trump told Reuters the same day he was fired that he “never knew anything about” the campaign.

DOGE exemption: The ad contracts were deliberately structured to avoid DOGE review by using immigration, law enforcement, and emergency spending carve-outs in Trump’s own executive order establishing the department.

Timing context: Noem was fired during an active military crisis with Iran, while DHS oversees domestic security infrastructure including CISA, immigration enforcement, and critical infrastructure protection. The firing creates a leadership vacuum at DHS during the most significant national security crisis since 9/11.

Sources