In recent weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has found itself at the epicenter of a political storm, with Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership facing sharp scrutiny from both the public and within the Trump administration. A series of explosive reports from The Wall Street Journal, amplified by coverage on The Daily Wire and The New World, have pulled back the curtain on what critics describe as chaos and self-promotion at the top of the sprawling agency.
At the heart of the controversy is Noem’s relationship with her top adviser, Corey Lewandowski—a dynamic that has reportedly unsettled President Trump and his closest confidants. According to The Wall Street Journal, Lewandowski, who once managed Trump’s presidential campaign, initially sought to formally serve as Noem’s chief of staff. However, Trump nixed the idea, citing persistent rumors of a romantic relationship between the two. Both Noem and Lewandowski are married, and while they have publicly denied any affair, multiple sources told the Journal that the pair “do little to hide their relationship inside the department.”
Photos published last year showed Lewandowski shuttling between his apartment and Noem’s, located just across the street. After the images surfaced, Noem relocated to a government-owned waterfront residence on a military base in Washington, D.C.—a house typically reserved for the leader of the U.S. Coast Guard, which falls under DHS’s purview during peacetime. Lewandowski is said to spend considerable time at the residence, a detail that has only fueled speculation about the nature of their partnership.
Despite the denials, the relationship has had tangible effects inside DHS. According to The Daily Wire, Noem and Lewandowski have staged a series of headline-grabbing immigration crackdowns, often sidelining seasoned officials and dissenting voices. Their approach has reportedly sparked friction with Tom Homan, the White House border czar, whom Trump recently tapped to oversee ICE operations in Minnesota. One source told the Journal that Noem “routinely berated staff if she saw Homan on TV and kept track of both their appearances to make sure she was on TV more than him.”
Personnel decisions within the department have also raised eyebrows. In a particularly bizarre episode, Lewandowski allegedly fired a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after Noem left a blanket on a plane. The pilot was initially dismissed and told to take a commercial flight home, but was later reinstated because “no one else was available to fly them home,” as reported by The New World. A DHS spokeswoman declined to comment on the incident directly, stating only that Noem “made personnel decisions to deliver excellence.”
Beyond the palace intrigue, the DHS’s approach to immigration enforcement has drawn widespread criticism. According to a new AP NORC poll cited by The Daily Wire, 62% of Americans believe President Trump has gone too far in deploying federal immigration agents to U.S. cities. Similarly, 61% say the administration has overreached in using federal law enforcement at public protests, 54% believe legal immigration has been restricted excessively, and 52% say deportations of undocumented immigrants have gone too far. These numbers represent a sharp rebuke for an administration that once touted its hardline immigration stance as a political strength.
Ben Shapiro, host of The Ben Shapiro Show on The Daily Wire, did not mince words in his February 13 broadcast. “That is a really bad statistic for the Trump administration,” Shapiro remarked. “This has always been a strength for the Trump administration. Remember, if three in 10 Americans are saying that the party they trust on immigration more is the one that left the border wide open for four years under Joe Biden, that is a referendum on the handling of immigration by, in particular, the secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, who has been, I will say, disastrous.”
Shapiro went further, arguing that Noem’s tenure at DHS has been marred by self-promotion and a penchant for television appearances rather than the “quiet, solid implementation of mainstream policy” that he believes sustains public trust. He cited the Wall Street Journal’s reporting that Noem has “attempted to burnish her personal stardom at every turn,” often with Lewandowski at her side. Shapiro also highlighted the department’s controversial use of a luxury 737 Max jet, leased for Noem and Lewandowski’s travel. The pair reportedly want to purchase the plane outright, even though the cost would be double that of each of seven other commercial planes the department is also acquiring for deportations.
The fallout from these leadership decisions has been severe. Within DHS, Noem and Lewandowski have been accused of berating senior staff, administering polygraph tests to employees they distrust, and firing personnel—sometimes for opaque or petty reasons. The “missing blanket” incident is just one example of what critics describe as arbitrary management. According to The Wall Street Journal, Lewandowski’s influence has extended far beyond his official capacity, including making staffing decisions and shaping department priorities.
Meanwhile, the stakes of these internal dramas have been tragically underscored by events on the ground. As The New World reported, two civilians remain dead after being shot by ICE agents under Noem and Lewandowski’s leadership. The shootings have intensified scrutiny of DHS operations and fueled concerns that the department’s focus on image and internal rivalries has come at the expense of its core mission.
Despite the mounting criticism, Noem’s office has defended her record, emphasizing her efforts to “clamp down on inefficiencies to save billions of dollars.” A DHS spokeswoman stated that Noem “serves at the pleasure of the president and has successfully clamped down on inefficiencies to save billions of dollars,” insisting that “all the officials are on the same page.” The spokeswoman further dismissed the reports of personal misconduct as “salacious, baseless gossip,” asserting that the department “doesn’t waste time” on such matters.
Yet, as the public’s trust in DHS leadership continues to erode, the administration faces a difficult road ahead. The combination of internal discord, controversial enforcement tactics, and personal scandals has left many questioning whether the agency can effectively fulfill its responsibilities. With the 2026 election cycle looming, both the White House and DHS will need to reckon with the consequences of these turbulent months—and with the enduring questions about who is truly calling the shots at one of America’s most critical security agencies.
For now, the spotlight remains fixed on Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski, whose partnership—professional or otherwise—has come to symbolize both the strengths and the vulnerabilities of the Trump administration’s approach to homeland security.