Kristi Noem said she was “blindsided” by the news that her husband was cross-dressing with over-sized fake breasts and sharing the pics — but for years the couple’s relationship has been anything but normal.
Kristi and Bryon Noem have been married since 1992, when she was still in college. They welcomed their first child together in 1994 — a month after her father was killed in a grain mill accident.
Bryon was by her side for her political rise — including her 2007 election to the state house and 2011 election to Congress.
In a 2022 interview with Elysian, Kristi Noem said, “We are such a transparent family” over their willingness to put their family life out there, adding that they’re “an open book.”
But there’s another side to their relationship.
The former Homeland Security Secretary and South Dakota governor has been carrying out a multi-year affair with ex-Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who is also married, in what is surely one of the Beltway’s worst-kept secrets.
The reports of Noem and Lewandowski’s relationship have been floating around since 2021, and the Daily Mail published a bombshell story about their affair in 2023.
She has denied it, but they have done little to tamp down the speculation.
They traveled together extensively, including on official DHS business trips to El Salvador, Mexico and Colombia — taken “dozens” of trips together, jet-setting on donors’ planes to far-flung love nest locales, according to reports.
Last April, Lewandowski tagged along on an ICE raid in Phoenix with Noem, introducing himself to the federal agents as “chief of staff” as the pair shuttled around in the back of a BearCat armored SWAT vehicle on a series of immigration raids.
This prompted DHS to later release a statement clarifying Lewandowski is actually an advisor to DHS and a special government employee.
Last April, the Mail reported the couple were renting apartments across the street from one another in DC’s Navy Yard neighborhood, and that Lewandowski was regularly seen leaving her posh $3,750 a month two-bedroom condo only to stroll back to his own up-market digs.
“They continue to travel together, they continue to socialize together. Very clearly, they’re still having an extra-marital relationship,” a source told the outlet at the time.
Noem later moved into the Coast Guard commandant’s house on a Washington, DC military base following threats against her for overseeing ICE’s anti-deportation efforts.
Sources have told The Post that Lewandowski is living there with her.
Meanwhile, husband Bryon is living back in their hometown, where he runs Noem Insurance in the town of Bryant — population 471.
The brazenness of the affair didn’t sit well with members of Bryon Noem’s family, who told The Post they hoped he’ll eventually leave the ousted DHS chief once and for all.
However, they predicted he would remain in the marriage due to his devout Christian faith and to honor his marriage vows.
“He said he decided about 20 years ago that it was his calling from God to support her in whatever she decided to do,” one family member said. “So he has put up with the humiliation. We will see if he sticks with her now.”
“I think it’s him honoring the calling from God,” the family member added. “But it seems like there would be some limit to that.”
Noem’s spousal fealty was on full display last month when he accompanied her during a House hearing last month at which Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) asked her point-blank if she was “having sexual relations” with Lewandowski.
Noem batted away the question, dismissing it as “tabloid garbage ” — but didn’t actually deny the allegation.
“I really think you need to say the word ‘no’ into the record so that you can clear that up,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said.
But Noem declined, and her husband’s family raked her over the coals about it.
“What gets me is she couldn’t say no,” one of Bryon’s relatives said. “When she’s getting grilled about it, she couldn’t say no.”
“She’s not the same girl — we used to be close friends,” added the family member.
The couple has three grown children, and Bryon’s family surmises the parents’ unusual relationship puts a strain on them.
“Bryon is a Christian man, and he believes that marriage is forever,” the relative said. “He’s very close with his children. I’m sure this is really hard on them.”
Noem and representatives for Lewandowski did not respond to messages seeking comment by The Post.
