White House breaks its silence and sides with Trump's border czar Tom Homan over boss Kristi Noem's 'lover' following explosive Daily Mail report
By Shawn Cohen ad Phillip Nieto
Daily Maik
Dec 18, 2025
The White House has finally broken its silence and sided with President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan over Kristi Noem's alleged lover Corey Lewandowski following an explosive report in the Daily Mail.
On Wednesday the Daily Mail revealed bombshell allegations from multiple Homeland Security whistleblowers accusing Lewandowski, who officially serves as a temporary 'special government employee', of repeatedly trying to strong-arm his way into obtaining an ICE-issued firearm and badge.
Sources allege that Lewandowski sidelined those who thwarted his efforts, going so far as to torpedo former ICE New York field director Tom Feeley's bid to become ICE director this spring after Feeley refused to cooperate with Lewandowski's scheme.
During a fiery phone call with the Daily Mail, Lewandowski denied the allegations and accused Homan of leaking the story.
'I don't know how many times Tom Homan can pitch you the same story,' Lewandowski said Wednesday in a follow-up interview, adding: 'He's your source, not mine.'
Shortly after the story published, the White House issued a statement rejecting the claim of Noem's right-hand man and defending Homan as 'an American patriot who does not leak to the media,' taking sides for the first time in the long simmering, behind-the-scenes feud between two powerhouse aides in DHS.
'Tom Homan is an American patriot who does not leak to the media and is very respectful of the White House's press processes,' said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.
'The American people are grateful for Tom's critical work securing the border and Making America Safe Again. He is an invaluable member of the Administration who is working tirelessly to implement the president's agenda.'
The White House statement didn't address the central allegations of the Daily Mail expose, in which four department whistleblowers claimed Lewandowski spent months angling for a way to obtain the gun and credentials normally reserved for federal law enforcement officers.
Sources now tell the Daily Mail that Feeley was fired earlier this week from his job as an instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia, as DHS officials have moved aggressively to crack down on perceived leakers.
In a statement issued Thursday, Feeley acknowledge the termination and called it 'a direct consequence of the ongoing, heightened scrutiny surrounding the impending release of a significant article.'
The Daily Mail exclusive posted Wednesday reports that Lewandowski is said to have made a surreptitious request of Feeley, former ICE New York field director, when he was under consideration for the agency's top spot.
'So would I be issued a gun?' Lewandowski asked Feeley, according to two sources familiar with the conversation.
Feeley reportedly replied: 'You're not a cop' and added that Lewandowski would need formal training.
'Shortly thereafter, obviously, Feeley got left out of the ICE director position,' a DHS official said, characterizing the move as a 'direct consequence' of him refusing to cooperate with Lewandowski.
When asked to comment on his reported efforts to secure a firearm, irate Lewandowski furiously denied the claims, telling the Daily Mail in a November phone call, 'If you publish this story, I will sue your f**king a** off!'
Tom Feeley, who allegedly told Lewandowski 'no' to an ICE-issued firearm and had his bid to become ICE director torpedoed this spring, was fired earlier this week. He told the Daily Mail that his dismissal was a 'direct consequence' of the article's release
Lewandowski denied the allegations and accused Trump's border czar Tom Homan of leaking the story, saying in a follow-up interview, 'He's your source, not me'
'I have never asked the federal government for a gun! I'm a law-abiding gun owner!' Lewandowski added.
He denied the conversation with Feeley and denied even knowing him.
Feeley bluntly refuted that in his statement to the Daily Mail on Thursday.
'I honestly never anticipated the profound and unforeseen repercussions my professional life would face, stemming from what I believed to be a necessary and routine deliberation with Mr. Lewandowski,' Feeley stated.
'The subject at hand was merely an examination of the operational protocols for authorizing certain political appointees to carry a weapon, specifically under the 287(g) authority,' Feeley wrote.
'My conviction was that, considering the established precedent and its utilization by various preceding administrations, such a policy discussion would be perceived as a legitimate exploration of existing frameworks, rather than an issue with the potential to severely derail my career path.'
The firing came after the Daily Mail reported earlier this month on the Trump administration's frantic push to hire 10,000 new deportation officers by years end, exposing how lax vetting and lucrative signing bonuses have lured in a wave of woefully unfit recruits.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski are pictured during a visit to Guatemala in June.
Lewandowski has previously threatened the Daily Mail with a lawsuit during a phone call back in November, stating irately: ''If you publish this story, I will sue your f**king a** off!'
Noem and Homan had discussed with Feeley the possibility of being appointed ICE director.
Agency insiders say that Feeley had already relocated from his hometown of Buffalo, New York, to Washington, DC on the promise of the coveted ICE gig.
He had been eyed as a potential ICE director even before Trump started his second term. One DHS official said he had even discussed immigration strategy with Lewandowski, Homan and senior advisor Stephen Miller during the transition.
Instead, the longtime ally of Homan, ended up 650 miles further south at the training center in Georgia.
However, Lewandowski, even after allegedly getting thwarted by Feeley, did not give up on trying to get a federally Issued gun and badge.
Lewandowski was accused of using senior legal counsel at DHS and ICE during the summer to probe ICE staff about what it would take for him and a group of roughly a dozen allies to receive firearms and ICE credentials, according to DHS insiders.
'They did some very loose fishing to see how much pushback they would get from the folks whose job it is to issue a firearm,' a DHS insider said.
But the plan collapsed after ICE officials pushed back by demanding to know under what legal authority a political adviser with no policing powers could be issued a firearm by the federal government.
Lewandowski, who is known for his hot temper and heavy-handed control over staff, did not stop pursuing his quest for a gun, probing ICE staff about what it would take for him and a group of roughly a dozen allies to receive firearms and ICE credentials
Executive deputy principal legal advisor Kenneth Padilla also allegedly faced Lewandowski's wrath after thwarting his plans during the Summer - being placed on administrative leave and later moved to FEMA.
Padilla raised questions which he found to be 'unethical, immoral, and potentially illegal,' a source said.
Padilla's demotion occurred after the Daily Mail contacted DHS about the episode.
The Lewandowski revelation sent shockwaves through DHS and prompted scintillating speculation inside the MAGA world.
Roger Stone, a prominent Trump supporter, tweeted the Daily Mail article Wednesday night while writing ominously: 'Is Corey Lewandowski finally BUSTED?'
1 comment:
I've seen these folks before during my career. They want the badge and gun. They usually will have an agency employee ask for them. The answer should always be apply for a position.
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