New details have emerged about the real reason Corey Lewandowski fired a pilot during a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft meltdown, suggesting it wasn’t a blanket at all.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her alleged lover and de facto chief of staff Lewandowski are both married with children, yet their alleged relationship has been described as “Washington’s best-kept secret.”
Levandowski reportedly entered the cockpit of a government plane last May in search of a beloved electric blanket that allegedly belonged to Noem and was left behind after the couple moved the original plane when it malfunctioned.
According to reports, the plane had reached an altitude of 10,000 feet and the seat belt sign was still on when Levandowski addressed the pilot.
On November 6, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem boarded a plane to return to the United States after visiting Ulpiano Paes Air Force Base in Salinas, Ecuador. /Pool/Getty Images
NBC cited sources who said he threatened to fire the Coast Guard crew and then tried to fire the pilot who refused to return to another plane to retrieve Noem’s belongings. He relented after the pilot pointed out that if he was fired, someone else would have to fly the plane, the report said.
However, a new report from the Daily Mail cites three DHS insiders who say this isn’t a forgotten blanket at all; This is a mysterious bag.
“It was never about a blanket,” an insider close to the incident told MailOnline. “The blanket was a cover story for what really happened. The whole thing was really about the bag that was left behind.”
According to the Daily Mail, citing sources, Lewandowski discovered that at least two people knew the contents of Noem’s bag, which could be embarrassing.
Corey Lewandowski’s close relationship with Kristi Noem has drawn scrutiny. /Andrew Harnick/Getty Images
The publication also noted that the fired pilot, Keith Thomas, was a commander in the Coast Guard in Washington and later promoted to senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security.
Thomas declined to comment on the plane incident, telling the Daily Mail, “As an officer, I do not comment on past or current assignments.”
Kamryn Jones, Noem’s assistant on the infamous flight last May, was awarded the Medal of Merit by her boss last September.
“I am proud of the patriots who serve our country and the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Camryn Jones,” Noem posted on Instagram. “I am honored to present her with the Medal of Merit in recognition of her extraordinary dedication as a military aide.”
Kristi Noem’s Instagram post in September. /screen grab
“There was never a conversation in the cockpit when the plane took off,” Levandowski told Reuters, but did not respond to questions about whether he had entered the cockpit.
Levandowski quoted a Coast Guard statement to The Daily Beast, saying “no Coast Guard airmen have been terminated or have been subject to derogatory administrative action by any airport in connection with the incidents described.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
This week, Noem’s husband, Bryan, made a rare public appearance amid rumors surrounding her affair with Lewandowski.
South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem participates in a sound check before the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 14, 2024. Political commentator Corey Lewandowski looks on at the Fiserv Forum. /Andrew Caballero Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
In a video posted to Noem’s X account and recorded at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the 54-year-old secretary can be seen standing in front of security. In the video, she told viewers, “I’m just sending my husband off, he’s going back to South Dakota,” as she waved to her husband, Brian Noem, who waved back as he went through security.
Levandowski is classified as a special government employee. He has served as Noem’s de facto chief of staff, even though his position only allows him to work 130 days a year.
In August, White House officials reportedly investigated whether Lewandowski had exceeded those hours and might have fudged the numbers to stay with Noem.