Longtime Donald Trump ally Corey Lewandowski has too much baggage even for the president to accept him having a key position in his administration, reported The Atlantic — yet, he still has influence from the sidelines.
Lewandowski, according to the report, "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 of Trump's big concerns was reportedly the optics of Lewandowski and Noem working together so closely, following the bombshell 2023 New York Post report that the two of them were engaged in a poorly concealed sexual affair for years, that coincided with Noem's husband moving out of the South Dakota governor's mansion. Noem, who served as governor of that state and separately got mired in a scandal about shooting a puppy, had been a top contender for Trump's 2024 running mate up to that point.
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Nonetheless, according to the report, Lewandowski continues to hold unofficial sway inside Noem's department.
"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," said the report.
At the same time, "Trump remains personally close to Lewandowski, whom he has kept as a friend and ally throughout a range of scandals. But the president is also aware that many of his trusted aides and confidants deeply dislike the 51-year-old, especially after he argued last summer to Trump that he needed to make changes on his campaign."
Lewandowski served as campaign manager in Trump's 2016 run, and became a lightning rod for controversy after he was caught on video manhandling Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields; he faced battery charges in Florida over the incident, but they were swiftly dropped.