Corey Lewandowski Signals He's Ready To Ditch Kristi Noem As Affair Rumors Explode

Rumors that Corey Lewandowski and Kristi Noem are having an affair have been hard to shake, but with Lewandowski hinting at the possibility of a big new career move, it's possible things have cooled down between them. The big new move in question? A gubernatorial run. However, it bears mentioning that Lewandowski has been vague about that, too. 

As a brief refresher, Noem has long said that the claims she and Lewandowski were having an affair are false (charging in 2021 that it was sexist haters who started the rumor in the first place). However, an insider told the New York Post they'd spotted the twosome at a very busy bar in Orlando — and that they had been "handsy." Fast-forward to 2025, and reports claimed their behavior had become more brazen and that the two had chosen to stay in apartments across from each other in Washington, D.C. 

Back to the possibility of Lewandowski leaving that convenient little arrangement (oh, and his current gig as Noem's adviser), everything could change if he does decide to make good on his off-the-cuff comment that he might run for governor of New Hampshire. Said remark came in a text to Politico, with the outlet sharing that he'd told them, "Governor is the only job in politics I would ever consider giving up what I am currently doing for." Kind of sounds like he'd be willing to dip if a better opportunity came along. Like we said, though, Lewandowski hasn't formally thrown his hat in the ring for anything at the time of this writing.

Despite Corey Lewandowski telling Politico he'd consider quitting his adviser's role if he could become governor, it's worth pointing out that he didn't explicitly say he was gunning for the position. What's more, over on X, formerly known as Twitter, he actually went out of his way to downplay the possibility. 

First, in response to the reports, he posted, "I thought it only fitting today to share the words of the famous Mark Twain ... 'The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.' Lots of fake news out there ... don't believe the MSM." The next day, he shared a link to Politico's article along with the caption, "This is news worthy. Wow." Well, the possibility of a gubernatorial run is newsworthy, but we digress. 

Of course, it is possible that Lewandowski's comments were his way of doing damage control. After all, it coming out that he was considering leaving his rumored affair partner's side for a bigger, better job could put a damper on the romance. That said, there is another theory. One high-placed insider told Politico they didn't believe he actually wanted to run for governor — and that he probably didn't believe he'd be successful if he did. However, they mused that his comments may have been strategic all the same. "He's obviously a smart guy, so he throws his name in there just to get headlines," they said — and that's on newsworthiness.