What to Know About Kristi Noem's Alleged Affair With Corey Lewandowski After the 'Wall Street Journal' Exposé

Kristi Noem's alleged affair with Corey Lewandowski has lingered on headlines for years.

The alleged extramarital relationship between the ICE Barbie and her acting chief of staff allegedly started as early as 2019 when they were spotted being touchy-feely on multiple events, including an annual fishing trip hosted by investment manager Foster Friess, the 2019 Florida conference and the 2019 AMPFest.

Facebook photos dated December 2019 also showed Noem and Lewandowski shopping for a dog, though it was unconfirmed whether the pooch was a Christmas gift for her son.

Several sources came forward with shocking claims about Noem and Lewandowski's love affair in the years thereafter.

According to one insider, the two had an obvious hookup during an event at Mar-a-Lago in December 2020, with Noem allegedly sitting on Lewandowski's lap.

"This has been a known, open thing and we've all been waiting for it to blow up at some point," one onlooker alleged.

There were also reportedly seen mingling after conferences, including the time they allegedly took a long beach stroll while at the 2020 Republican Attorneys General Association meeting.

Additionally, a confidant told The New York Post they were bewildered after spotting Noem and Lewandowski getting overly affectionate toward each other in a hotel lobby at the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

"It's a lobby bar where everyone is staying, and so there's a bajillion political operatives and journalists and electeds around. I remember I saw it with my own eyes and a couple other people saw it, and the blatantness was absurd," they said.

Clapping back after American Greatness published a report about the alleged illicit relationship, the former South Dakota governor wrote in a since-deleted post on X, "These rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie. These old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can't achieve anything without a man's help."

Noem said she loves her husband, Bryon, adding, "I'm proud of the God-fearing family we've raised together."

Noem and Lewandowski could not shake the entanglement rumors after the Daily Mail dropped a report that amplified the already damning allegations.

According to the news outlet, the Homeland Security secretary and her alleged paramour planned to book a hotel room in Seattle while in the city for an event to raise money for then-Republican candidate Jesse Jensen. They also allegedly traveled together while promoting her memoir in July 2022.

RadarOnline.com also learned further details about the alleged years-long affair. One GOP insider told a news outlet Lewandowski was "100 percent banging" Noem.

Another source claimed the clandestine affair was "widely known" in GOP circles for years.

Talks of Noem and Lewandowski's alleged affair cropped up again when The Wall Street Journal published an April 2025 report, revealing that Lewandowski was blocked from becoming her chief of staff. Donald Trump and his aides reportedly made the decision because of ongoing infidelity rumors.

Still, Noem found a way and hired him as a special government employee.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail highlighted the pair's living arrangements that made their relationship look even more suspicious.

"I've seen them together here both in the elevator and in common areas," the source said of Noem and Lewandowski, who were living across the street from each other at the time. "It is an open secret that they are together."

Although Noem later moved to a different property, Lewandowski reportedly continued visiting her on a regular basis.

Months later, a senior White House official told CNN that Trump, who "likes" Noem, learned Lewandowski was "the problem."

"The agency is being mismanaged because of it," the source said, noting Lewandowski triggered the firings of personnel and requested staff members to be put on administrative leave.

He also developed a reputation as a micromanager.

"Mr. Lewandowski certainly has reputation of reprimanding officials who impede or slow down the administration and undermine the will of the American people — the American people voted for Donald J. Trump, not a bureaucrat," said a separate source.

Amid the troubles, a news outlet claimed the POTUS might be considering firing Noem over the employment of Lewandowski.

"Things are f-----," one former official noted. "It's horrible, they're going to destroy this place. I'm just hoping the new secretary gets here in time."

In response to the report, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told The Daily Beast the president "has assembled the most talented and capable Cabinet in American history."

"These so-called reports are nothing but Fake News," she added.

On February 12, The Wall Street Journal published a bombshell exposé about Noem and Lewandowski.

One part alleged they have been traveling using the department's luxury jet, 737 Max airliner, while another pointed out the tabloid photos that showed Lewandowski going back and forth between his apartment and Noem's.

"Lewandowski and Noem, who are both married, have publicly denied the reports of the affair, but people said they do little to hide their relationship inside the department," the outlet added in the shocking report.

The speculation about Noem and Lewandowski's alleged affair has gotten so messy that a former federal prosecutor warned it could threaten national security.

Barb McQuade explained on X, "I don't know whether reports of an affair between Noem and Lewandowski are true, but they are more than 'salacious' 'gossip.' If true, they could be used as leverage over the official charged with protecting our homeland security. Clearances get denied for such things."

According to WSJ, Noem and Lewandowski's secret relationship made Trump and his advisors "uncomfortable."

"Lewandowski had initially wanted to formally serve as Noem's chief of staff, but Trump rejected the idea due to reports of a romantic relationship between the two — which he has continued to bring up, officials say," it noted.

On the other hand, the head of state acted clueless when a reporter asked him about the affair on February 16.

"Recent news reports have discussed the possibility that Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski are in a close personal relationship. Is that a bad look, and do you think she'll be in the job much longer?" the reporter queried, to which Trump replied, "I don't know about that."