Corey Lewandowski's Wife Suffered The Tragic Loss Of Her First Husband

Alison Lewandowski has been married to Corey Lewandowski for 20 years as of 2025, but prior to their marriage, she was married to someone else. Heartbreakingly, though, her first husband, Brian Kinney, was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

Some may remember that long before Corey was making headlines for inappropriate behavior with Kristi Noem, his wife was mentioned in a touching piece by The New York Times. Outlining Kinney's life before his passing, the publication revealed that Alison and Kinney had met as teenagers, with many of their meetings taking place at the latter's parents' gas station. One particularly sweet detail published was that Kinney's dad had given him special permission to cash Alison's checks, likely because he'd spotted a romance blooming. Evidently, that paid off, because the couple tied the knot in 1998. However, their union would be cut short by tragedy just three years later. Kinney was en route to a client meeting when he was killed. The 28-year-old had been a passenger on United Airlines Flight 175, which struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

As was reported by The Sun, in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Alison's community rallied around her. The school where she taught in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, raised money for her and the family, and in a very sweet move, she later donated the amount back to them. That was subsequently put toward a baseball field — an ode to Kinney's love for the game — and in September 2011, it was officially named after him. Many of the children she'd taught a decade prior attended the naming ceremony. Speaking to The Sun, the school's Recreation Director said of the project, "This really has come full circle." Alison didn't speak to the outlet about how she felt on the day, but there's no question it would have been a very emotional experience. 

A few years after he was honored in Tyngsboro, another commemoration of Brian Kinney's life took place in 2018. This time, at his own alma mater, Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua, New Hampshire, a plaque was erected at the school's baseball field. 

Speaking to The Telegraph, Kinney's former coach gushed over not just his baseball abilities, but his kindness and leadership qualities, and shared in a speech for the occasion, "It is in his memory and his compassion for others that this memorial plaque is being dedicated to him here at the BG baseball fields." More than that, though, the school used Kinney's example to encourage their current students to be kind to others. Continuing to be remembered for kindness nearly 20 years after your passing is a pretty big deal, and once again, we have no doubts that Alison Lewandowski was moved. 

Other tributes to Kinney include a memorial to him in the place where his family's gas station once was. The property is now part of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and in 2016, the institution renamed it Kinney Square. Though Alison typically shies away from speaking to the press (she's never addressed the rumors that her husband is having an affair with Kristi Noem, nor has she acknowledged that some of her MAGA husband's cheating rumors have revolved around very scary assault claims), she did address UMass Lowell's sweet gesture. "I am so glad the university chose to honor him like this," she said at the time. She also shared a sweet aside that she'd loved going there in the lead-up to her and Kinney's courtship, "To check out the cute boy who worked there." Here's hoping all the memorials have brought Alison some peace over the years.