Columbia ad agency won $20M contract for taxpayer-funded Trump ads

A Columbia-based advertising agency is behind the controversial pro-President Donald Trump advertisement awarded in a $20 million Department of Homeland Security contract.

Federal contract data shows that the contract was awarded to LMD Agency on Sept. 19 for a “National Media Campaign.” The advertisements began running on television days later and were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

LMD Agency did not respond to requests for comment from The Baltimore Banner.

“These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad,” the White House said in a statement to ABC News. “The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country.”

After outcry over the taxpayer-funded ads, Trump said his political action committee would pay for them. This week he clarified that they would not reimburse $10 million already spent to air the ad.

Federal records show that LMD was awarded contracts worth $43.2 million in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, including $18 million for a U.S. Coast Guard advertising contract. The company has won $266.4 million in federal contracts over the past decade.

In 2025, the company was named one of the Best Places to Work in Greater Baltimore by the Baltimore Business Journal. The company was recognized as part of the Top 10 Small Business category.

The company touts being woman-led and claims to be made up of “fearless thinkers, creators, and builders who know how to ignite change, transform brands, and deliver measurable results,” according to its website.

Holly Huntley leads the company, whose clients also include TEDCO, the University of Maryland, Catholic University, and Prince George’s County.

The company’s website includes a quote from self-described socialist historian Howard Zinn: “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”