President Donald Trump has broken his silence on rumours that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is engaged in an extramarital relationship with her top aide, Corey Lewandowski. Asked aboard Air Force One on Monday whether the alleged affair constituted a “bad look” for his administration, Trump said: “I don’t know about that. I mean, I haven’t heard that. I’ll find out about it, but I have not heard that.”
Both Noem and Lewandowski, who are married, have denied the allegations. The former South Dakota governor has previously dismissed the story as a “disgusting lie.” The matter was revived last week by The Wall Street Journal, which reported that the pair’s “close relationship had already made Trump and his top advisers uncomfortable” and was an open secret within the administration.
The Journal also claimed that Trump had rejected the idea of Lewandowski serving as Noem’s chief of staff due to reports of a romantic relationship. Additionally, it reported that Noem had moved into a government-owned waterfront house on a military base intended for the head of the Coast Guard, after tabloid photos showed Lewandowski going between his apartment and Noem’s across the street. A DHS spokesperson said Noem moved for security reasons and pays rent.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Independent: “Mr. Lewandowski serves as an advisor to the secretary. The secretary, like all previous secretaries, has various senior advisors. This department doesn’t waste time with salacious, baseless gossip – we have actual work to do.”
The WSJ report also alleged that Noem’s department operated in “constant chaos” and that she sought to “burnish her personal stardom at every turn,” including staging a headline-grabbing immigration crackdown while sidelining rivals. A DHS spokesperson challenged many points, calling a claim about border czar Tom Homan false.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has insisted that Trump retains full confidence in Noem, stating: “President Trump and Secretary Noem have ensured the most secure border in our nation’s history.”
