Trump Administration Immigration & Messaging

The article details fresh financial figures and an on‑the‑record defense from DHS over a massive 'Save America' advertising campaign that senators say steered business to a firm run by a top DHS aide’s husband. At a recent Senate Judiciary hearing, Sen. John Kennedy, R‑La., grilled Secretary Kristi Noem over what he characterized as a $220 million TV ad buy prominently featuring her, funneled through Safe America Media to The Strategy Group, a conservative ad agency led by Tricia McLaughlin’s husband Benjamin Yoho, and suggested no true competitive bidding occurred. Documents cited in the piece put total ad spending closer to $185 million, with about $146.5 million tied to 'Save America,' roughly $348,000 paid for production to the Yoho‑linked shop, and about $142 million going to media placement costs rather than to Yoho’s firm itself. DHS General Counsel James Percival tells Fox News Digital he has reviewed the matter and calls the allegations against McLaughlin 'baseless,' insisting she did not select subcontractors and that 'nothing illegal or unethical occurred' with the contracts. The reporting sharpens questions about how the department is using a large pot of Trump‑era enforcement money on a self‑deportation ad push while raising potential conflict‑of‑interest and procurement‑integrity issues that could invite further congressional or watchdog review.