California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Friday called on the Department of Homeland Security to direct more than $220 million that went to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's ad campaign toward Los Angeles fire recovery, following Noem's firing by President Donald Trump earlier this week.
Noem was dismissed from her DHS role on Thursday. Newsom's office said the former secretary personally reviewed expenditures of over $100,000, which left a backlog of pending FEMA awards waiting for her sign-off — including more than $500 million in funding to help communities and survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires that devastated Los Angeles in January 2025.
What the Left Is Saying
Newsom framed the funding delay as a failure of leadership that harmed fire survivors. 'While Kristi Noem poured $220 million of taxpayer money into a political ad campaign featuring herself on horseback, more than $500 million in FEMA funding for LA fire recovery sat stalled on her desk,' Newsom said in a statement. 'Families in Los Angeles shouldn't have to wait while she and Donald Trump play politics. Release the funding now and redirect those help communities rebuild.'
The governor's office accused Noem of 'cosplaying on horseback' while failing to sign key recovery contracts. Newsom also called for another $94 million in hazard mitigation program awards for the greater Los Angeles region, funding that would go toward clearing dry brush to prevent future fires and upgrading infrastructure at hospitals, water plants and schools.
Newsom argued that the delays have created such uncertainty that some recipients are withdrawing projects rather than risking their budgets on open-ended delays. Community amenities in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and damaged schools 'still wait for dollars to rebuild facilities and classrooms that burned,' according to the governor's statement.
What the Right Is Saying
The Department of Homeland Security has rejected claims that FEMA funding was delayed. A DHS spokesperson told The Hill there was 'no evidence' of any holdups in FEMA funding. 'Secretary Noem's review process was specifically designed to break through bureaucratic red tape and expedite funding requests that had previously languished for years under prior administrations,' the spokesperson said.
President Trump moved Noem to serve as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas coalition following her firing. The administration has nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to replace Noem as DHS secretary, pending Senate confirmation.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who pressed Noem during a Senate hearing about the ad campaign, said on Friday that he knew Noem was 'dead as fried chicken' after calling Trump about her testimony. Kennedy said the president was 'mad as a mamma wasp.' Noem had told Kennedy during the hearing that Trump approved her ad campaign to promote DHS, which critics said appeared to promote her personally.
The White House has not publicly responded to Newsom's specific funding redirection request, though the administration has defended Noem's tenure at DHS.
What the Numbers Show
The $220 million ad campaign funding was spent under Noem's direction at DHS. More than $500 million in FEMA awards for Los Angeles fire recovery were pending Noem's sign-off at the time of her firing, according to Newsom's office. The $94 million hazard mitigation program awards that Newsom requested would fund brush clearing, hospital and water plant upgrades, and school retrofits across Los Angeles County.
The fires in January 2025 destroyed thousands of homes and structures in the Eaton and Palisades areas. FEMA funding is essential for community rebuilding efforts, as well as infrastructure improvements aimed at reducing future fire risks.
The Bottom Line
The controversy over FEMA funding delays and Noem's ad spending comes as Los Angeles communities continue recovering from one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in California history. With Noem removed and Mullin awaiting confirmation, the path forward for the $500 million in pending awards remains unclear. Newsom is calling on the administration to end what he described as a 'bottleneck' and move funding to fire survivors. The White House has not indicated whether it will redirect the ad campaign funds or expedite the pending FEMA awards. The Senate will likely examine Mullin's views on disaster funding oversight during his confirmation process.