Corey Lewandowski, the former Trump 2016 campaign manager who served as an unpaid adviser to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, is no longer working at the Department of Homeland Security, the department confirmed Friday.
A statement from DHS confirmed his departure but did not specify any future government role for Lewandowski, who was photographed with Noem this week in Guyana during an official visit she made to the South American country. The confirmation of his status at DHS comes amid speculation about his future after Noem was named a special envoy for Western Hemisphere security issues.
What the Right Is Saying
Trump allies have defended Lewandowski's advisory role as a natural extension of his longstanding relationship with the former president. Lewandowski served as Trump's campaign manager in 2016 and was widely credited with tactical decisions that led to the president's win in the New Hampshire primary that year.
Administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that Lewandowski's work at DHS was focused on advising Noem on political strategy and coordination with the White House. Supporters point to his decades of experience in Republican politics as valuable to the department's mission.
Trump and Lewandowski have remained close over the years. The former president briefly named Lewandowski as a senior adviser to the 2024 presidential campaign before moving him into a surrogate role by October. Conservative commentators have praised Lewandowski's loyalty to Trump and argued his advisory work at DHS was consistent with the administration's political priorities.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive critics and House Democrats have long questioned Lewandowski's role at DHS, particularly during Noem's tenure leading the department at the forefront of the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement operations. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee had pressed Noem for months about her relationship with Lewandowski amid media reports suggesting a personal dimension to their working arrangement.
Earlier this month, Noem refused to answer questions from House Democrats about her relationship with Lewandowski during a committee hearing. Progressive advocates argued that Lewandowski's informal status at DHS raised serious ethical concerns, particularly given his ability to influence high-level departmental decisions despite lacking a formal government position.
Advocacy groups aligned with Democratic priorities have called for greater transparency around Lewandowski's role, noting that his position as a special government employee raised questions about compliance with federal ethics rules governing temporary workers.
What the Numbers Show
Lewandowski joined the Trump administration as a special government employee, a status that raised questions about his tenure at DHS. U.S. law limits temporary government employees to 130 days per year of unpaid work, but Lewandowski worked at DHS since the start of Noem's tenure in February 2025 — a period exceeding 13 months.
Despite his informal status, Lewandowski had significant influence within the department. He possessed the ability to veto any contract exceeding $100,000 at the agency and was involved in other high-level decisions. An administration official confirmed that Lewandowski faced scrutiny over DHS's short-lived move last month to shut down TSA PreCheck, a decision seen as a pressure tactic during funding negotiations.
The department has been shut down since February of this year over a funding impasse between Congress and the administration. Noem was confirmed as DHS secretary in February 2025 and served until her appointment as special envoy for Western Hemisphere security issues earlier this month.
The Bottom Line
Lewandowski's departure from DHS follows Noem's transition to a new diplomatic role, ending an advisory relationship that spanned her entire tenure as homeland security secretary. His extended period as a special government employee — well beyond the 130-day limit for such positions — may prompt further scrutiny from ethics watchdogs and congressional Democrats.
The departure leaves questions unanswered about Lewandowski's future government involvement and the full scope of his influence during Noem's leadership at DHS. Watch for any future announcements about Lewandowski's next role and whether congressional Democrats pursue additional oversight of his time at the department.