ICE Barbie Kristi Noem is constantly under the spotlight not only because of her questionable professional ethics but also because of her alleged affair with Corey Lewandowski. Noem is a married woman, and despite that, she does not put enough effort into hiding the alleged affair, which has been a constant source of rumors and gossip and at one point even threatened to upend her career.
Not only does Noem boldly continue her association with Lewandowski, but she also brought him in as a “special government employee” in 2025, as Politico reported. Ever since he came on board, Lewandowski has allegedly made it difficult for others to do their jobs, as he repeatedly oversteps and does not remain within his professional boundaries.
Now, Noem and Lewandowski are reportedly channeling their couple energy at the workplace, as, according to The Washington Examiner, they are directing their anger toward one specific employee: Rodney Scott, commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Great scoop from @Anna_Giaritelli that also raises a very important question: how is Corey Lewandowski still legally working at @DHSgov? He clearly timed out in his Special Government Employee role months ago. https://t.co/O32u0k3z0j pic.twitter.com/JhJXdFWB45
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) January 22, 2026
It should be noted here that Scott also got his job the same way Noem did, as he was nominated by President Donald Trump and joined after being approved by Congress. He has previously clashed with both Lewandowski and Noem on multiple issues and has also questioned the legitimacy and scope of the former’s employment.
While such behavior is not entirely unexpected from the two, the dispute with Scott is proving to be more serious and problematic, as it is no longer contained within the workplace. Speaking to the Washington Examiner, an insider said, “The most evil was when they attacked other people in retaliation to get to [Scott]. Lewandowski said that he wanted to make it as tough on these people as possible, their families, their children, everybody.”
As Scott’s strained professional relationship with Noem and Lewandowski is affecting people in his personal life, it is important to note that both his job and the DHS secretary’s position depend on being in the good books of Trump. Both were recommended by the president himself, and so far, neither has been publicly criticized by him.
Noem’s unfit to lead and lacks credibility. When speaking, she uses a repeating pattern of dehumanization & lies. Oct. 8: She lied by saying that they found the Antifa girlfriend. It’s a network. And “we will root them out & eliminate them from existence…” pic.twitter.com/HTuk3dBPUe
— Cristy Wilkinson🇺🇸🦅🌊 (@crcwilkinson) January 21, 2026
However, rumors of Noem being on the verge of losing her job were circulating last year, though they were debunked by the White House. The reason these rumors started was her alleged affair with Lewandowski and how her bringing him in as an employee was causing various problems in the way things operated. Noem did not publicly acknowledge any of these accusations, and for now, rumors of her being fired have largely died down.
Scott also happens to be another of Trump’s favorites, and the president gave him a recent shoutout on Truth Social when he posted in January 2026, “Great interview today of Rodney Scott, CBP Commissioner, by the wonderful Will Cain, on The Will Cain Show!”
While Noem’s and Scott’s jobs appear more or less safe, Lewandowski is in a more vulnerable position because he is neither a strong favorite of Trump nor allowed to work “130 days during any period of 365 consecutive days.” Despite not having a very secure work situation, Lewandowski appears to be quite bold in his professional choices, which likely stems from his ties to Noem.
