History of Tricia McLaughlin (government official) in Timeline

Tricia McLaughlin is an American spokeswoman and Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She has served in both the first and second Trump Administrations. McLaughlin's role involves public communication and explanation of the Department's actions, notably concerning United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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Full Timeline

2022: Communications Lead for DeWine Reelection

In 2022, Tricia McLaughlin led communications for the reelection campaign of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

2024: Communications Lead for Ramaswamy Campaign

In 2024, Tricia McLaughlin led communications for the Vivek Ramaswamy presidential campaign.

2024: Collaboration on Ramaswamy Campaign

In 2024, Tricia McLaughlin worked with Benjamin Yoho on Vivek Ramaswamy's presidential campaign.

November 2025: ProPublica Investigation into Strategy Group

A ProPublica investigation published in November 2025 showed that Strategy Group, where Benjamin Yoho (McLaughlin's husband) is CEO, had received over $200 million to launch an advertising campaign for the Department of Homeland Security.

January 13, 2026: Threats Following Social Media Post

Following Tricia McLaughlin's social media post regarding dangerous criminals, on January 13, 2026, Ricardo Antonio and Emilio Roman-Flores were arrested for threatening to hang McLaughlin.

January 2026: Accusation of "Mainstreaming Racism"

Following January 2026 posts from official DHS accounts that included the slogan "WE'LL HAVE OUR HOME AGAIN.", The New York Times characterized Tricia McLaughlin as "mainstreaming racism" by tying the agency's posts to the anthem written by members of a self-described "pro-White fraternal order."

January 2026: Spokeswoman for Department of Homeland Security

In January 2026, Tricia McLaughlin served as spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, claiming to be "in charge of everything" the department puts on social media, according to The New York Times.

January 27, 2026: Questioning by Fox News Host Dana Perino

On January 27, 2026, Tricia McLaughlin was pressed by Fox News host Dana Perino about her labeling of Pretti as a "domestic terrorist," but McLaughlin did not directly answer the question.