15 blockbuster movies that cost less than Kristi Noem's $220 million DHS ad campaigns

Kristine Villarroel Business 07 Mar, 2026 Americas

Kristi Noem's $220 million DHS ads outspent blockbusters like "Barbie" and "Sinners," raising questions about the department's use of taxpayer dollars.

Senator Jamie Raskin questions DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during Congressional hearing on March 4. — Kristi Noem was ousted of her role at the Department of Homeland Security following Congress questioning.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Kristi Noem was fired from her role at the Department of Homeland Security this week.
Senators had pressed her about the cost and contracts behind a $220 million DHS ad campaign.
The ad campaign cost more than the production budgets of some major Hollywood hits.

Kristi Noem might not be a Hollywood star, but her department spent like the big studios.

The former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security was ousted from her post on Thursday, following months of controversy over her handling of immigration enforcement in Trump's mass deportation campaign.

During Noem's appearance before Congress on Tuesday, Senator John Kennedy, among other lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle, pressed Noem about the department's spending of taxpayer dollars, including a $220 million ad contract.

The ads, which Noem said were intended to encourage undocumented immigrants to leave the US, included footage of the now-former secretary riding a horse in front of Mount Rushmore while delivering stern messages about border enforcement.

Lawmakers scrutinized the bidding process for the contracts behind the ad campaign, as well as the firms selected, raising questions about how taxpayer dollars were awarded and spent.

In her testimony, Noem defended the ads as "effective" and said President Donald Trump had approved the $220 million in spending. "We went through the legal processes, went through it correctly," she said.

Trump later disputed that account, telling Reuters on Thursday, "I never knew anything about it."

On social media, "The View" host Meghan McCain compared the DHS ad costs to the production budget for "Sinners." The Ryan Coogler-directed movie, which recently set an Oscars record with 16 Academy Award nominations, had an estimated budget of $90 million, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

"Kristi Noem's DHS vanity videos cost $130 million more than Sinners," McCain wrote in an X post.

"Sinners" isn't the only movie with a smaller budget than the department's ad spending.

The $220 million price tag — which also accounted for media buying and placement, consulting fees, and related administrative expenses — surpasses the budgets for a list of blockbuster movies.

Here are 15 of them, as well as their reported budgets, which have been adjusted for inflation to reflect what those costs would be today.

And spoiler: some of your favorite movies might be included.

"The Matrix" (1999)