Corey Lewandowski Is Too Controversial. Trump was concerned by the optics of Lewandowski working as chief of staff to Noem with whom he had reportedly been romantically involved
When Donald Trump first won the presidency, Corey Lewandowski, his former campaign manager, angled for a senior position inside the White House, only to settle for an outside job as a political consultant.
Eight years later, Lewandowski set his sights lower. He lobbied to be named chief of staff to Kristi Noem, the incoming secretary of Homeland Security, whom he had spent years advising and promoting as a rising star within Trump’s orbit, two people familiar with the situation told us.
But again he was thwarted. Trump personally nixed the idea, said the people, who requested anonymity to describe private conversations. One added that the president was concerned by the optics of Lewandowski working as chief of staff to someone with whom he had reportedly been romantically involved. (Lewandowski and Noem have denied the claims of an affair.)
The president’s decision has not stopped Lewandowski from working closely with Noem in her new role, functioning as a traveling adviser while overseeing other employees in her office. The situation has alarmed some in Trump’s circle, who view Lewandowski as a chaotic presence, even by MAGA standards. Lewandowski has a record of feuding with others who are close to the president and creating controversy. He worked as Trump’s first campaign manager during the 2016 presidential race, before becoming a government-relations consultant and political adviser to Trump and other Republican politicians.
