Congress Turns Up The Heat On Kristi Noem Over Rumored Lover As Husband Bryon Looks On

By Brandon Bombay
Bryon Noem and Kristi Noem smiling @sdbryonnoem/Instagram

Even though there have been signs that Kristi Noem and Bryon Noem are headed for divorce, her husband was on hand when she was questioned by a congressional panel about her handling of the Department of Homeland Security. Things became awkward on the second day of her testimony when her rumored affair with Corey Lewandowski came up. On March 4, Kristi appeared before the House Judiciary Committee. Before the proceedings began, she gave a shoutout to Bryon for making a rare public appearance. "I want to take a personal privilege and thank my husband for being here too," she said.

Bringing Bryon along was a bold move, as there was strong potential for Kristi's rumored affair with Lewandowski to come up since the two work closely together for DHS. Users on X saw the potential for catastrophe and roasted Kristi for her alleged extramarital relationship. "Her husband apparently enjoys the humiliation," one wrote. "Did she thank her 'side piece' Corey Lewandowski?" another added.

Bringing up her relationship with Lewandowski is exactly what Rep. Jamie Raskin did when he slammed Kristi for misusing DHS funds to luxuriously furnish a jet. "Apparently when your blankie was left on one of the govt jets and not transported to the new one, your special government employee, Corey Lewandowski, chivalrously stepped forward to fight the pilot — mid air," Raskin cheekily said as Bryon sat stoically behind his wife. The politician was referencing a mid-air incident Lewandowski had while riding on a DHS jet alongside Kristi, which had made headlines not long before she faced the congressional panel.

Corey Lewandowski was furious over Kristi Noem's lost blanket

Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski Joe Raedle & Chip Somodevilla/Getty & undefined

Not only had Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski not bothered to sit apart during Department of Homeland Security meetings, but the pair had a headline-making moment on a private jet together. The incident raised questions about the status of Kristi's marriage to Bryon Noem. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal published on February 12, on one trip, Kristi and Lewandowski had to switch private planes, and along the way, her favorite heated blanket was left behind. Lewandowski became incensed on his rumored girlfriend's behalf and fired the pilot on the spot. That firing was quickly walked back when Lewandowski was informed that the pilot would have to leave immediately.

Multiple outlets reported on blanket-gate, and Noem was likely displeased to see her name in the press alongside Lewandowski for a scandalous reason. The pair first made headlines together in September 2023 when the New York Post reported that multiple staffers had seen the pair getting "handsy" with one another at a hotel bar in 2021 that was filled with fellow politicians. "I remember I saw it with my own eyes and a couple other people saw it and the blatantness was absurd," a source told the outlet at the time.

Prior to the cheating rumors reigniting after the blanket fiasco, a relationship coach identified red flags in Kristi and Bryon's marriage and how the couple could ultimately persevere amid the scandal. "For Kristi Noem and her husband, the challenge is twofold: navigating the emotional impact of these allegations and maintaining a sense of partnership amid intense public scrutiny," relationship coach Anthony Recenello told our sister site Glam last June.

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