The opening image in the slideshow features Kennedy seated beside Bryon as her infant daughter offers a cracker to her grandfather. This tender moment is captured in a photograph that also highlights Bryon’s left hand, where he still wears his wedding ring. Similarly, Kristi seems to continue wearing hers. However, other indicators suggest a more complex dynamic in their relationship. Observers have speculated that Kristi and Bryon’s current living arrangements hint at a marriage that might be more performative than genuine.

Since taking office, Kristi has been residing in Washington, D.C., while Bryon has chosen to remain in South Dakota. Complicating matters further, her chief adviser, Lewandowski, resides just across from her in the Navy Yard area and reportedly spends considerable time at her residence. “I’ve seen them together here both in the elevator and in common areas,” a source revealed to the Daily Mail in April 2025. Although rumors are rampant, Kristi and Bryon seem to be maintaining a united front for now.

It appears that Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski aren’t making significant efforts to dismiss the speculation about their alleged affair. This nonchalance reportedly extends to their workplace as well. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security are said to be growing increasingly frustrated. “Things are (explicit),” a source confided to The Bulwark in December 2025, as cited by Radar. “It’s horrible, they’re going to destroy this place.” The source even suggested that Noem might lose her position as secretary due to these rumors. “I’m just hoping the new secretary gets here in time,” they added.

Approaching the one-year mark of his second term, rumors of potential Cabinet reshuffles began to circulate. Sources informed CNN that while the president had no personal grievances with Noem, he was concerned about Lewandowski’s influence. “Yes, he likes [Noem], but it has been brought to his attention that [Lewandowski] is a problem, and the agency is being mismanaged because of it,” a White House insider disclosed. Once a close ally of Trump, Lewandowski’s current standing could have significant implications for his future prospects.

This isn’t the first time Noem’s relationship with Donald Trump’s former campaign manager might have hindered their political aspirations. After assuming her role at the DHS, Noem wanted Lewandowski as her chief of staff. But the president had concerns about how this could have been perceived, The Wall Street Journal reported in April 2025. They settled for chief adviser, but Trump remained wary of the situation.

Shortly before the one-year mark of his second presidential term, rumors started doing the rounds about potential shakeups in his Cabinet. Sources told CNN that while the president had no complaints about Noem, he disliked the influence exerted by Lewandowski. “Yes, he likes [Noem], but it has been brought to his attention that [Lewandowski] is a problem, and the agency is being mismanaged because of it,” a White House insider said. Lewandowski was once close to Trump, so this supposed fallout might have dire consequences for his career.