Corey Lewandowski has worked with Trump since 2015, though the president has cut ties with him on multiple occasions
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NEED TO KNOW
- Corey Lewandowski is reportedly leaving the Department of Homeland Security, one day after Kristi Noem’s removal as secretary
- Noem denied allegations of an affair with Lewandowski during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on March 4
- Lewandowski, a longtime Trump adviser, is married with four kids
Corey Lewandowski is reportedly leaving the Department of Homeland Security.
On March 6, several outlets — including MSN Now and CBS News — reported that the longtime adviser to President Donald Trump and a top aide to Kristi Noem is leaving the Department of Homeland Security. The news comes just one day after the president removed Noem as homeland security secretary in the first major Cabinet shakeup of his second term.
For several years, reports have circulated alleging a relationship between Lewandowski, who is married with four children, and Noem, who is also married, a mother of three children and a grandmother of four grandkids. On March 4, Noem was questioned about the alleged affair while testifying about immigration enforcement actions before the House Judiciary Committee.
After Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) asked if she "had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski," Noem responded, "I am shocked we're going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee."
Here's what to know about Corey Lewandowski amid his reported exit from the Department of Homeland Security.
Lewandowski is from Massachusetts
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Before working with Trump, Lewandowski grew up in his hometown of Lowell, Mass., per Politico.
He went on to attend the University of Massachusetts, later receiving his master's degree from American University in Washington, D.C., where he also worked in Republican congressional offices and campaigns.
He has worked with Trump for years — and been dismissed several times
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Lewandowski has been working in politics since the late 1990s, per his LinkedIn, but began working with Trump in 2015. Prior to Lewandowski's reported March 2026 departure from the Department of Homeland Security, Trump had cut ties with him two previous times.
He previously served as Trump’s campaign manager toward the beginning of the president's 2016 run. In June of that year, Lewandowski was abruptly dismissed following internal conflicts and reported power struggles within the team.
He later reentered Trump's inner circle, only to be pushed out again in 2021 after a donor accused Lewandowski of making unwanted sexual advances at a charity event in Las Vegas. He has denied the allegations.
In September 2024, Trump spoke to New York Magazine about Lewandowski, saying, "I just like him. Corey’s a character."
He is married with four children
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Lewandowski met his wife, Alison Hardy Lewandowski, when they were in ninth and eighth grade, respectively, per The Washington Post. The pair dated in high school and college before going their separate ways.
Hardy then married one of Lewandowski's friends, Brian Kinney, who died in the 9/11 attacks.
According to the outlet, Lewandowski and Hardy reconnected and got married in 2005. They share four children.
There are reports of an alleged years-long affair between Lewandowski and Noem, which they’ve denied
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Lewandowski's reported departure from the Department of Homeland Security comes just two days after Noem was questioned about her alleged relationship with him.
He had been serving as a senior adviser to Noem at DHS, where he had been widely described as her de facto chief of staff. However, his technical status is an unpaid "special government employee."
Rumors of a possible romantic relationship between the two have circulated for several years, beginning during Noem’s time as governor of South Dakota and resurfacing after Lewandowski joined the department. Both have denied the allegations.
Noem faced questions about the alleged relationship while testifying on immigration enforcement actions before the House Judiciary Committee on March 4, refusing to directly answer the question.
She also downplayed Lewandowski's influence, maintaining that he had no authority to make decisions for the department.
"He is a special government employee who works for the White House," Noem said of the role. "There are thousands of them in the federal government."
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