Trump Gets Cornered On Kristi Noem Affair Rumors & His Unconvincing Answer Says It All
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Despite the reported reservations of White House officials, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and her top aide Corey Lewandowski continue to work closely together. Rumors of an affair between Noem and Lewandowski stretch back years, first appearing in September 2021, and the gossip has only gained momentum. However, when Trump was asked about it during an Air Force One press conference on February 16, 2026, he claimed to be in the dark. "I don't know about that. I haven't heard that. I'll find out about it," Trump responded (via X, formerly Twitter).
Reporter: Recent reports have discussed the possibility that Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski are in a personal relationship. Is that a bad look?
Trump: I don't know about that. I haven't heard that. I'll find out about it. pic.twitter.com/YqukUwWCts
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 17, 2026
Social media users weren't convinced. "Oh I see ... he must be the only one who didn't know that," joked one person on X. The president's reported behind-the-scenes comments cast further doubt on his assertion. "Trump referred to Noem as Lewandowski's 'girlfriend,'" Alex Isenstadt asserted in his book "Revenge" (via Daily Mail).
The president was also said to have side-eyed the duo's indiscreet behavior. "You can't do that, everyone's going to know!" one source told the New York Post, recalling Trump's reaction when Lewandowski and Noem reportedly shared a beverage. Trump was also said to have pulled the pair into the Oval Office for a contentious meeting in September 2025 regarding Noem and Lewandowski's reported bad behavior towards DHS employees.
Stories involving Noem and Lewandowski's interactions abound
Donald Trump's not the only one trying (and failing) to dispel the messy and ever-present affair rumors about Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski. "This Department doesn't waste time with salacious, baseless gossip — we have actual work to do keeping the American homeland and its citizens safe," Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security's Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, informed HuffPost.
However, these statements are fighting a lengthy backlog of Noem and Lewandowski's questionable interactions. After they both came to Washington to serve in Trump's second administration, Lewandowski and Noem chose neighboring housing units, and he has reportedly spent a lot of time visiting her. All the while, Noem's husband continued to live in South Dakota and Lewandowski's wife continued raising his four children in New Hampshire.
It didn't take long for things to get slightly weirder. In February 2025, Lewandowski was seen removing trash from Noem's apartment, a task that seemed well beyond the duties of a special government employee. After the Homeland Security Secretary moved six months later, Lewandowski reportedly remained a frequent guest in her new place, often spending the night.
Some people had been seeing red flags even before the affair rumors first appeared in 2021. One member of Trump's circle claimed to see instances of PDA between Noem and Lewandowski over a year earlier. Another insider reported the duo being touchy-feely and was flabbergasted to discover Noem and Lewandowski didn't seem to feel inhibited by large crowds. "This has been a known, open thing and we've all been waiting for it to blow up at some point," the insider asserted to the New York Post in 2023.