Kristi Noem was mercilessly mocked over her alleged affair with top aide Corey Lewandowski after her husband accompanied her to a black-tie event at the White House.
On Tuesday, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, 67, posted to social media a tux-and-gown snapshot with the smiling Homeland Security secretary, 54, and her husband, Bryon, during the National Governors Association gathering in Washington three days earlier.
Rhoden wrote on Facebook: “Caught up with our dear friends Kristi Noem and her husband Bryon at the White House during the National Governors Association meeting!”
Noem probably now wishes he hadn’t.
Within hours, the post racked up almost 1,000 comments—almost all of them asking some variation of the same question: Where was Lewandowski?
“Yall catch up with Corey too?” one person wrote, while another asked, “Why isn’t she with Cory?” Several commenters referred to her “side piece,” while another still asked the whereabouts of her “sex mate” and referenced an “employee affair.”
“Hey Lar, you spelled Corey’s name wrong,” wrote another.
The seemingly endless taunts also dubbed Noem and her husband, “the happy cuckle.”
Others suggested Lewandowski, 52, may even have been present, with one joking: “Corey’s taking the picture.”
With chatter around Noem and Lewandowski’s rumored affair at fever pitch, Saturday’s public outing to the event attended by President Donald Trump,79, was the second time in two days that Bryon had been seen with his wife in public.
Last Sunday, Noem posted a video to her X account showing herself waving goodbye to Bryon at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as he walked through security, telling followers she was seeing him off on a return trip to South Dakota.
The public appearances come amid weeks of escalating coverage of Noem’s alleged relationship with Lewandowski—her de facto chief of staff and a special government employee. His position caps him at 130 days’ work per year, fueling questions about whether he has been exceeding those hours to stay close to her side.
The pair’s alleged relationship has been described by one FEMA official as the “worst-kept secret in D.C.” and has spawned a string of embarrassing revelations.
Among the most damaging was a report that Lewandowski entered the cockpit of a U.S. Coast Guard government jet after Noem’s favorite blanket had been left behind on a different aircraft and attempted to fire the pilot for refusing to turn back.
DHS insiders have since told the Daily Mail the whole episode was not about Noem’s beloved blanket, as originally claimed, but a mystery bag. Its contents, known to at least two crew members, were reportedly feared by Lewandowski to be embarrassing.
The fired pilot, Coast Guard commanding officer Keith Thomas, was subsequently promoted to a DHS senior adviser. Thomas declined to comment on the incident, telling the Mail, “As a military officer, I do not comment on past or current missions.”
Lewandowski told Reuters there was no conversation in the cockpit during takeoff, but he declined to address whether he had entered the cockpit at all.
Trump, when confronted about the rumored affair aboard Air Force One earlier this month, told reporters: “I don’t know about that... I haven’t heard that.” His response was at odds with reports suggesting he has long been aware and has privately teased the pair about it.
The Daily Beast has contacted DHS for comment.
