Trump breaks silence on reports about Kristi Noem’s relationship with top aide days after Wall St Journal exposé

President Donald Trump says he ‘had not heard’ about the rumored affair, which both the secretary and her adviser Corey Lewandowski have denied, but pledges he will ‘find out about it’ NewsWorldAmericasUS politicsTrump breaks silence on reports about Kristi Noem’s relationship with top aide days after Wall St Journal exposéPresident Donald Trump says he ‘had not heard’ about the rumored affair, which both the secretary and her adviser Corey Lewandowski have denied, but pledges he will ‘find out about it’Joe Sommerlad Tuesday 17 February 2026 16:11 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverSean Hannity questions Kristi Noem about calling Renee Good and Alex Pretti ‘domestic terrorists’Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read morePresident Donald Trump has addressed speculation for the first time that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is having an extramarital affair with her top aide Corey Lewandowski. Trump was asked directly about the rumored relationship, which both Noem and Lewandowski have denied, aboard Air Force One Monday evening, whether it constituted a “bad look” for his administration, and whether Noem was likely to remain in her job much longer. “I don’t know about that,” the president answered, “I mean, I haven’t heard that. I’ll find out about it, but I have not heard that.”The alleged romance between Noem and Lewandowski, both of whom are married, has long been a subject of media intrigue, but the former South Dakota governor has dismissed the story as a “disgusting lie.”The matter was revived last week by The Wall Street Journal, which published a bombshell report on Noem’s running of the DHS, alleging that the pair’s “close relationship had already made Trump and his top advisers uncomfortable” and was an open secret within the administration.open image in galleryHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has called rumors that she is romantically involved with her top aide Corey Lewandowski a ‘disgusting lie’ (AP)The newspaper claimed that the president had rejected the idea of Lewandowski serving as Noem’s chief of staff “due to reports of a romantic relationship between the two – which he has continued to bring up, officials say.”It also reported that the secretary had moved into a government-owned waterfront house on a military base in Washington, D.C., intended for the head of the Coast Guard, after tabloid photos of Lewandowski “showed him going back and forth between his apartment and Noem’s across the street last year.”A DHS spokesperson told the WSJ that Noem had moved into the house for security reasons and that she pays rent there.Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in turn, 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 keeping the American homeland and its citizens safe. Something the last administration failed to do for four years.”open image in galleryLewandowski is a familiar figure in Trump World and was the president’s first campaign manager in 2016 (AP)The WSJ report otherwise alleged, quoting sources from within the DHS, that Noem’s department operated in a state of “constant chaos” and portrayed the secretary as a politician who has sought to “burnish her personal stardom at every turn.”It accused her of staging “a headline grabbing immigration crackdown while sidelining rivals and dissenters… all with an eye to her style, with TV-ready hair and makeup,” also alleging she was jealous of Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, who was sent in to restore order to Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis last month, ensuring she made more TV appearances than her rival.A DHS spokesperson challenged many of the points raised in the story, claiming the Homan line was false.Trump’s administration has continued to back Noem, even after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota in January, both of whom the secretary accused of attempting to engage in domestic terrorism when they were killed by federal agents.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted recently that the president retai