And her supposed lover…
In a blunt on-air report Thursday detailing turmoil behind the scenes at the Department of Homeland Security, Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich described mounting frustration within the administration over leadership problems, a controversial taxpayer-funded advertising campaign, and persistent questions circulating in Washington about a personal relationship with a senior aide.
According to sources close to the president, those issues ultimately led to President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Speaking on “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” Heinrich said people close to Trump described the decision as the culmination of multiple issues that had frustrated the president.
“I’ve been asking officials here about what went into the president’s thinking,” Heinrich said. “The quote that I was given was it was ‘a combination of her many unfortunate leadership failures, from Minnesota to the ad campaign, to the allegations of an affair.’”
Ad campaign reportedly pushed Trump “over the edge”
However, Mediate reported that Heinrich revealed it was Noem’s $220 million advertising campaign that became the final straw for the White House. The Department of Homeland Security bypassed normal competitive bidding procedures.
Contracts were awarded to firms with ties to Noem’s political orbit, including Safe America Media — a company incorporated just days before winning a $143 million deal — and People Who Think. Subcontractors included the Strategy Group, a firm with long-standing personal and business ties to Noem and her senior aides.
Lawmakers from both parties criticized the ads for prominently featuring Noem, often on horseback at Mount Rushmore, rather than focusing on policy. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) questioned the wisdom of spending a quarter-billion dollars on ads that primarily boosted her personal name recognition.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Noem testified that President Donald Trump had personally approved the $220 million campaign. Trump later denied knowing about it, saying, “I never knew anything about it.”
“Apparently, he did not,” Heinrich said, adding that the controversy surrounding the ads “really tipped the president over the edge.”
Alleged relationship also raised concerns
Heinrich also referenced long-running allegations that Noem had an extramarital relationship with Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Trump ally who had been serving as a top adviser inside DHS.
Both Noem and Lewandowski have denied the claims in the past, but Heinrich said the allegations were still cited by people close to Trump as one of the factors behind the president’s decision.
Lewandowski reportedly dismissed as well
Later in the same Fox News program, Heinrich reported that Lewandowski was also dismissed from his position at DHS following Noem’s firing.
Lewandowski, Trump’s former 2016 campaign manager, had been working inside the department as a special government employee advising Noem.
The twin departures mark a major shakeup inside the Department of Homeland Security as the Trump administration continues to face high-stakes battles over immigration policy, border security, and domestic national security threats.
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