Trump's day-one 'cockroach' finally meets his match as DC's most feared hatchet man brings down the ax in Minneapolis bloodbath
By Shawn Cohen and Phillip Nieto
Daily Mail
Jan 31, 2026
Sources told the Daily Mail that Lewandowski is coordinating the effort to blame Stephen Miller for the administration's reaction to Alex Pretti's death
As Trump world implodes over the deportation chaos in Minneapolis, one figure has been surviving the leaks and backstabbing like a 'cockroach' — but has now taken on one fight he can't win.
Insiders tell the Daily Mail that Corey Lewandowski, the bare-knuckle political brawler who wields unprecedented power within the Department of Homeland Security, may finally be on his way out after he allegedly coordinated a hit against Trump's most trusted lieutenant, Stephen Miller, insiders tell the Daily Mail.
It came as Kristi Noem, Lewandowski's boss and rumored lover, was facing backlash for claiming that an armed ICU nurse, Alex Pretti, fatally shot by immigration agents had intended to 'massacre' officers. White House officials later walked back these claims after it was revealed Pretti had his firearm removed when officers shot him.
DailyMail spotted Corey Lewandowski sneaking out of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's apartment complex clutching a duffel bag, April 2025
Noem sought to shift responsibility onto Miller, telling reporters: 'Everything I've done, I've done at the direction of the President and Stephen.'
Within hours of her broadside, Miller issued his own statement blaming Border Patrol for the bad intel on Saturday's shooting – while privately seething over Noem's attempt to shift blame on him.
Multiple sources told the Daily Mail the effort was coordinated by Lewandowski as part of a broader attempt to shield Noem's career, and by extension his own. The comments backfired.
'That's just something you don't do,' one administration official told the Daily Mail. 'As a leader, if something comes out of your mouth, it doesn't matter if somebody told you to say it. You should have verified it. You never blame other people or throw them under the bus.'
'They are all trying to blame each other,' a Homeland Security official said.
But that source predicted Miller will come out on top because he's Trump's most trusted ally.
Stephen Miller, one of Trump's most loyal aids, will likely survive the duel with Lewandowski, sources tell the Daly Mail
Moments before Alex Pretti (on the ground) was fatally shot in the Minnesota city on Saturday
'It's not Noem, it's Miller,' the official said. 'Miller was there for the first administration. A lot of people call him Trump's hatchet man, and what he says, Trump will go by.'
A DHS official said he had spoken with aides close to Noem who claim Lewandowski, a 'special government employee' (SGE) who has served as her de-facto chief of staff, is about to be 'out the door.'
Lewandowski's status as an SGE allows him to avoid disclosing his private financial earnings while working in the government.
Another White House insider told the Mail that there are no immediate plans to fire Noem, but that she would be given a soft landing in coming months.
Speculation is that she would launch a bid in South Dakota's 2026 Senate primary, or do groundwork to run for president in 2028.
However, Lewandowski, who infamously served as Trump's campaign manager in 2016 before being ousted by the president's daughter Ivanka, has weathered repeated scandals while clinging to power. Washington insiders say they won't believe he's gone until they see him gone.
'Corey is like a cockroach; he just never goes away and always survives,' a GOP political operative close to the White House told the Daily Mail.
Trump defended Noem in a late-night post on Truth Social on Friday by suggesting she’s been targeted by critics 'because she is a woman, and has done a really GREAT JOB!'
But this time, insiders acknowledge, appears different.
Sources close to Tom Homan tell the Daily Mail that it is believed Lewandowski also orchestrated the bribery leak
Lewandowski responded to the expose by denying any wrongdoing and accused Homan of leaking the allegations
Trump has responded to the immigration crisis in recent days by sidelining Noem and Lewandowski out of the Minneapolis crackdown.
The president installed her longtime rival, border czar Tom Homan.
Homan during a press conference on Thursday morning promised to implement a 'draw down' of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis if local officials cooperate.
It is notable that Noem's chief rival, Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott, stood right behind Homan as he delivered his remarks, solidifying his power over immigration operations on the ground in Minneapolis.
Weeks prior it emerged Noem and Lewandowski attempted to push out the Border Patrol chief, but met resistance from the White House and officials aligned with Homan.
'Noem's always had something against Scott, but the only way she can retaliate is to shut down his requests,' the DHS official told the Daily Mail, alluding to a recent reports she rejected Scott's office renovation plan.
'Rodney and Homan grew up together in the agency,' the source added. 'They're going to stick up for each other. That's why Rodney was up there this (Thursday) morning behind Homan and not her.'
The rift between Homan and Noem widened last September after allegations emerged in the media that Homan had been recorded in 2024 accepting a bag with $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents posing as business executives in a sting tied to potential future government contracts.
News reports allege that the Department of Justice under Trump ultimately shut down the investigation once he took office.
Sources close to Homan tell the Daily Mail that it is believed Lewandowski orchestrated the bribery leak, elevating a feud that has torn DHS into two rival camps: Team Noem and Team Homan.
Likewise, Lewandowski has also publicly accused Homan of leaking to the media, prompting the White House to issue a rare condemnation.
This after the Daily Mail reported in December that Lewandowski had pressured ICE officials to provide him a badge and gun – going so far as to demand it while interviewing a potential ICE director candidate early last year.
Lewandowski responded to the expose by denying any wrongdoing and accused Homan of leaking the allegations.
Trump has responded to the immigration crisis in recent days by sidelining Noem and Lewandowski out of the Minneapolis crackdown. The president installed her longtime rival, border czar Tom Homan
'I don't know how many times Tom Homan can pitch you the same story,' Lewandowski told the Daily Mail in a fiery phone call, adding: 'He's your source, not mine.'
Shortly after the story was published, the White House, where Miller holds sway, issued a statement rejecting Lewandowski's claim and defended Homan, 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.'
Now as the Trump administration has sidelined the power couple out of Minneapolis, DHS sources are whispering more about a possible shakeup to the president's cabinet.
Multiple current and former DHS officials have told the Daily Mail that former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is a strong contender to replace Noem.
'That's been rumbling around for a couple weeks and that's still in play,' one official shared, noting there have been quiet communications but that Youngkin and the White House have been careful not to disclose information.
Noem's power inside DHS, however, is closely tied to Lewandowski, who followed her from South Dakota where he served as an advisor when she was governor.
Multiple current and former DHS officials have told the Daily Mail that former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is a strong contender to replace Noem
'He makes bad decisions, and he always wants to be with Kristi. That is going to be her downfall,' the DHS official concluded.
Sources close to the White House predict Stephen Miller will remain untouched despite widespread condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans.
When asked about Noem's efforts to pin blame on Miller for the messaging following the Pretti shooting, his wife Katie Miller declined to comment.
'The Miller camp does not talk to reporters. Full stop,' Miller's wife said. 'Everyone else can do whatever they want.'
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