Trump’s Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem has suddenly found herself caught up in a personal scandal, as new reports say the president is now weighing whether to fire her over her alleged relationship with Corey Lewandowski.
For weeks, speculation has swirled in Washington that Noem’s time running the Department of Homeland Security could be coming to an end. A detailed report in The Bulwark described how three former DHS officials, still in touch with current staff, said it had been made clear that Trump is “considering moving on” from Noem, and that a change could come “really soon.”
Those former officials told the outlet that the core problem is not Noem’s loyalty to Trump, but her reliance on Lewandowski, the combustible former campaign manager who now serves as her powerful adviser inside DHS. Top White House aides, they said, have grown frustrated with his role and the turmoil surrounding him.
The Daily Beast later reported that Trump is considering firing his Homeland Security secretary over Lewandowski’s employment and his outsized influence in the department. That piece, which said Noem’s future was under serious review, cited the same three former DHS officials and described how concern about her relationship with Lewandowski has become a persistent headache for senior advisers.
Inside DHS, the pair’s partnership has drawn scrutiny far beyond gossip. Lewandowski is widely described in press accounts as Noem’s gatekeeper, traveling with her, weighing in on personnel decisions, and helping shape the department’s most hard line enforcement policies, including Trump’s aggressive mass deportation agenda.
One former official quoted by The Daily Beast painted a bleak picture of morale, saying the situation with Noem and Lewandowski was “horrible” and warning that “they’re going to destroy this place,” before adding, “I’m just hoping the new secretary gets here in time.”
Lewandowski, for his part, has pushed back hard on talk that Noem is on the way out. In a text to The Bulwark, he dismissed the reporting outright. “None of that is true,” he said.
The White House is also publicly trying to shut the story down. In a statement on X, spokeswoman Abigail Jackson blasted the coverage, writing, “Secretary Noem is doing a great job implementing the President’s agenda and Making America Safe Again,” and calling the idea that Trump is preparing to fire her “total FAKE NEWS.” She also sneered at the use of anonymous sources, saying, “Anonymous former staffers pretend to know what POTUS is thinking and the Bulwark treats them as credible?”
Anonymous former staffers pretend to know what POTUS is thinking and the Bulwark treats them as credible? 🙄
This ‘report’ — and the Bulwark — is total FAKE NEWS! Secretary Noem is doing a great job implementing the President’s agenda and Making America Safe Again. https://t.co/rmp3qY7dLz
— Abigail Jackson (@ATJackson47) December 7, 2025
Former DHS officials told The Bulwark that Noem has recently taken on a smaller role in directing department memos, which they took as another sign that her standing has slipped. Some of those same sources floated outgoing Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin as a potential replacement if Trump decides to make a change in the new year.
Noem has tried to project business as usual. At a recent Cabinet meeting, she publicly thanked Trump for the job, telling him, “Some days it’s a little controversial too, but it’s been an honor to work for you. You are a great American. The fights that you pick are the right fights, and they’re on behalf of this country.”
