President Donald Trump fielded a range of questions from reporters aboard Air Force One Monday evening, addressing issues from negotiations with Iran and Democrats’ remarks at the Munich Security Conference to reports surrounding Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s personal life.
During the informal press gaggle — broadcast live by the White House on YouTube — a reporter pressed the president about recent news reports suggesting that Noem and her top DHS advisor, Corey Lewandowski, are in a close personal relationship.
“Recent news reports have discussed the possibility that Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski are in a close personal relationship,” the reporter said. “Is that a bad look, and do you think she’ll be in the job much longer?”
Trump said he was unaware of the reports.
“I don’t know about that,” the president replied. “I mean, I haven’t heard that. I’ll find out about it, but I have not heard.”
The question follows a Wall Street Journal report published last week that examined Noem’s leadership at DHS and described what it called a rumored relationship between Noem and Lewandowski as a source of concern inside the White House.
According to the Journal, Trump and some of his advisers are “uncomfortable” with the pair’s “close relationship.” The report further stated that Lewandowski had initially sought to formally serve as Noem’s chief of staff at DHS, but Trump rejected that proposal due to reports of a romantic relationship between the two — an issue that officials told the paper the president has continued to raise.
The Journal also detailed tabloid photographs published last year showing Lewandowski traveling back and forth between his apartment and Noem’s residence across the street. Following the release of those photos, Noem moved into a government-owned waterfront residence located on a military base in Washington. The property is provided to the leader of the U.S. Coast Guard, which falls under the authority of DHS during peacetime.
The report noted that Lewandowski also spends time at the residence. A DHS spokeswoman told the Journal that Noem relocated to the house for increased security and that she pays rent for the property.
Both Noem and Lewandowski, who are married to other people, have publicly denied reports of an affair. However, the Journal cited individuals who said the two “do little to hide their relationship inside the department.”
Trump’s comments Monday suggest he has not directly addressed the matter with Noem, at least as of the time of the gaggle. The president indicated he would look into the reports but did not offer further comment on Noem’s standing within the administration.
The exchange underscores how personal controversies can quickly become political flashpoints in Washington, even as the administration continues to navigate high-stakes foreign policy negotiations and domestic policy battles. For now, Trump appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach, signaling he has not yet drawn conclusions about the reports swirling around one of his top Cabinet officials.
