Fired 'ICE Barbie' Kristi Noem Blew $20K on Horses for Cowboy-Themed Ad — Before Trump Axed Her Amid Backlash Over Lavish Spending and Affair Allegations
Kristi Noem's cowboy-themed ad is once again in hot water.
March 26 2026, Published 1:45 p.m. ET
Kristi Noem spent thousands of dollars on horses for her controversial cowboy-themed ad, which is said to have been the final straw for President Trump before booting her, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Democratic senators Peter Welch and Richard Blumenthal published a list of what the Department of Homeland Security spent on Noem's $220million ad campaign, which features the ousted figure riding a horse near Mount Rushmore.
The cost behind Noem's one-minute ad was revealed after Democratic senators demanded answers.
In the ad, which is said to have been filmed while the government was shut down late last year, Noem is dressed as a cowboy and rides a horse, while explaining why she's all about America.
"Why do I love these wide, open spaces? They remind me of why our forefathers came here," the 54-year-old says in the one-minute clip. "Not just for its beauty, but for the freedom that only America provides."
Welch and Richard Blumenthal, in their mission to discover why the ad budget ballooned to hundreds of millions of dollars, reached out to The Strategy Group Company, which was hired to film the ad.
The firm responded with a list of some of the expenses, including the DHS dropping $20,000 for horse rentals.
Details Behind Kristi Noem's Pricey Ad Exposed
The DHS spent $20,000 on horses for Noem, and nearly $4K on hair and makeup for the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
When it came to Noem's hair and makeup, $3,781 was spent; labor costs were $107,405, and videography costs were $52,599. The firm also confessed it received a $60,000 signing bonus.
In response, Welch went off and raged: "This looks like waste, fraud, and abuse to me. 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 rental, and that’s just what we know so far."
Earlier this month, Sen. John Kennedy demanded answers from Noem about the ad during her testimony to Congress, as he questioned her ability to handle her position as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
At the time, Noem claimed Trump knew all about the campaign and even approved it.
President Trump Left Fuming
Trump is said to have not been 'happy' when Noem claimed he approved the ad, and soon fired her.
"It’s just hard for me to believe, knowing the president as I do, that you said, 'Mr. President, here's some ads I've cut, and I'm going to spend $220million running them' that he would have agreed to that," Kennedy responded at the time.
The president would later clear up the confusion, claiming he "never knew anything" about the ad Noem and the DHS were filming.
According to Kennedy, Trump was "not a happy camper" after Noem tried to convince Congress Trump gave the ad the green light. Then, on March 5, Trump revealed he was done with Noem, known as "Ice Barbie," and fired her from her position, appointing her to a new, made-up role.
He said on Truth Social: "Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results... will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere, we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida..."
Kristi Noem Rages Over Affair Rumors
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Noem was also accused of having an affair with Corey Lewandowski.
During her time in the DHS, Noem was also questioned over her rumored affair with Corey Lewandowski, who also happened to end his tenure with the agency following Noem's firing.
Lewandowski was a senior adviser at DHS, in what many described as a "reign of terror."
When asked if she ever had "sexual relations" with Lewandowski, Noem accused lawmakers in Congress of spreading "tabloid garbage." Lewandowski, 52, has also denied the allegations.
