A dispute over a misplaced blanket during an official trip has opened a window into mounting turmoil inside the Department of Homeland Security, where personnel decisions and internal rivalries are drawing renewed scrutiny.
According to the New York Post, Corey Lewandowski, serving as an unpaid special government employee and acting as Kristi Noem’s unofficial chief of staff, dismissed a Coast Guard pilot after the item failed to make it onto a replacement aircraft when the secretary switched planes because of a maintenance problem.
The pilot was instructed to arrange a commercial flight home after the delegation reached its destination.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Lewandowski later reversed the decision when officials realized there was no backup available to fly the party, forcing the pilot’s reinstatement. The report did not specify when or where the incident occurred.
A DHS spokesperson did not deny the account, saying only that Noem has “made personnel decisions to deliver excellence.”
The episode was described as one example of escalating friction tied to Lewandowski’s influence within the department.
His role has drawn attention because special government employees are limited to 130 workdays annually, yet he has reportedly extended his time by avoiding formal check-ins at headquarters and traveling inside Noem’s motorcade, where badge logs are not required.
Lewandowski’s status also exempts him from standard financial disclosure rules, raising questions about his involvement in federal contract decisions. He said in August 2025 that he had logged 69 days and could stretch the remaining time through the end of the year under the annual cap.
Tensions have surfaced beyond DHS leadership.
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott reportedly told Lewandowski he would no longer accept directives once the 130-day limit had been reached, a dispute that was followed by staffing shake-ups within the agency.
The controversy has unfolded alongside persistent attention on Lewandowski’s personal relationship with Noem, which multiple sources have described as a years-long affair.
The internal clashes come after President Donald Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota following the fatal shooting of two anti-deportation activists, a move that temporarily put Noem’s standing under the spotlight.
Homan later declared the enforcement surge in the Twin Cities complete, citing improved cooperation with local officials.
Despite the infighting, the White House has continued to voice support for Noem.
“President Trump and Secretary Noem have ensured the most secure border in our Nation’s history, and our homeland is undoubtedly safer today than it was when the president took office last year,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “The president continues to have full confidence in the secretary.”
