FAMILIAR FACE

ICE Barbie Goon Unmasked as Creator of MAGA’s Vilest Ad

This is not the first controversial ad reportedly produced by the right-wing strategist.

The man behind Kristi Noem’s infamous horseback commercial at Homeland Security has been exposed as the creator of Vivek Ramaswamy’s vile new attack ad, a new report alleges.

The Rooster reports that The Strategy Group Company, run by Benjamin Yoho, is the creator of the ad featuring an interview with Democratic candidate Amy Acton’s estranged mother, in which she casts doubt on her daughter being a victim of horrific childhood abuse.

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The Ohio-based Substack, which was also the first to unearth the Ramaswamy ad this week, reports that Yoho “handled the production of the ad, as his organization has throughout Ramaswamy’s entire gubernatorial campaign.”

Yoho, 39, managed Ramaswamy’s 2024 presidential campaign, which boosted his national profile and earned him an endorsement from President Donald Trump in his Ohio gubernatorial bid.

The Daily Beast’s email to The Strategy Group Company bounced back on Thursday. Yoho did not respond to a text seeking comment, and his company did not answer a Facebook message.

The strategist previously grabbed headlines in November, when ProPublica revealed that Noem paid $220 million for commercials of her on horseback, which Yoho’s company produced as part of her border TV advertising blitz.

Yoho’s company previously ran the ad side of Noem’s 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial race, according to ProPublica. It also reportedly paid $8.5 million in state funds in 2023 and 2024 for a workforce-recruitment blitz in South Dakota. Yoho posted a photo with Noem in 2023 and captioned it “America’s Governor,” but his X account was private as of Thursday.

What made that DHS ad buy even more controversial is that Yoho is married to 32-year-old Tricia McLaughlin, who was then Noem’s loyal assistant DHS secretary. Homeland Security awarded the contract after invoking a “national emergency,” which let it bypass competitive bidding.

In the commercial, which aired on Fox News and other channels, Noem is seen riding in chaps and a cowboy hat as she declares, “Break our laws, we’ll punish you.”

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Noem later testified before senators that Trump personally OK’d the pricey ad blitz. However, that same week, the president threw her under the bus, saying he “never knew anything about it.”

The ads have been widely cited as a factor in Trump’s decision to fire Noem on March 5. That made her the first Cabinet secretary to be axed in MAGA 2.0.

TAKE IT DOWN!

Republican Slams His Wannabe MAGA Replacement Over Vile Ad

Josh Fiallo

Ramaswamy’s ad has also caught the president’s attention. However, the 80-year-old Trump has not spoken out against the ad, unlike other top Republicans, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Sen. Jon Husted. Instead, Trump praised Ramaswamy for doubling down on it, including his decision to spend $4 million to push it out online and on the airwaves in Ohio.

“What’s happened is the press has ganged up on a woman making a horrible statement about her daughter, and I don’t why she should be shielded,” Trump said of Acton. “She said she was a dirty liar.”

He added, “I say she is fair game.”

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Josh FialloBreaking News Reporter

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