DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her de facto Chief of Staff Corey Lewandowski tried to throw Stephen Miller under the bus. It isn’t working.
The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents has thrown the Department of Homeland Security into disarray. Agents initially claimed Pretti planned to “massacre” them, but evidence later showed his firearm had been removed before the incident. This second deadly encounter in the city—following the killing of Renee Good earlier—has fueled protests and forced President Trump to intervene directly in operations.
Trump announced that border czar Tom Homan would take control of the Minnesota crackdown, reporting straight to him. “Tom is tough but fair,” Trump stated. This move bypassed Noem and Lewandowski, signaling a clear shift in authority amid accusations of mishandled tactics like chemical agents and helicopter rappels into buildings.
Lewandowski, a holdover from Trump’s 2016 campaign, has operated as Noem’s top advisor under a “special government employee” designation that skirts financial disclosure rules. Insiders describe him as a persistent figure—”like a cockroach; he just never goes away and always survives”—but one whose judgment has drawn fire.
He allegedly orchestrated leaks blaming White House deputy chief of staff Miller for the botched messaging around Pretti’s death and pushed a story about Homan accepting a $50,000 bribe in a 2024 FBI sting, which the White House dismissed as false. A DHS official said of Lewandowski: “He makes bad decisions, and he always wants to be with Kristi. That is going to be her downfall.”
Recent reports suggest Lewandowski’s influence is waning fast. Overheard at Reagan National Airport discussing DHS contracts, including with Palantir Technologies, he has raised eyebrows about potential conflicts. His aggressive push for sweeps in Democrat-led cities has backfired, and with Trump sidelining him from Minneapolis, sources predict he’s “out the door” soon. This comes as questions mount about whether he’s exceeded the legal limits of his temporary role.
In contrast, Miller emerges unscathed. As the driving force behind Trump’s hardline immigration policies, Miller has driven daily calls demanding more arrests and deportations. Though Noem tried to pin the “assassin” label on Pretti to him—saying, “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done at the direction of the President and Stephen”—Miller retains Trump’s full backing. The White House affirms he “remains in his position as the architect of Trump’s immigration policy.”
His absence from a two-hour Oval Office meeting with Noem, Lewandowski, and others like Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt only underscores his independent clout. Allies see this as Trump rewarding loyalty over drama.
Noem herself faces scrutiny but appears secure for now. After initially defending the agents and shifting blame, she met with Trump amid calls for her resignation from both sides of the aisle. Trump rebuffed those demands, declaring she has “done a very good job” and suggesting critics target her “because she is a woman.”
Speculation swirls about a soft exit—perhaps a Senate run in South Dakota or a 2028 presidential bid—but no immediate ouster is planned. Prediction markets put her odds of leaving by year’s end at around 43%, though that’s amid broader Cabinet churn.
This infighting plays out against a backdrop of relentless leaks to outlets like The New York Times and The Atlantic, which paint the administration as fractured. Some suspect these stories stem from holdovers in the bureaucracy eager to sabotage Trump’s mandate to secure the border and deport criminals. After all, the Electoral College math favors Republicans as red states gain ground, and removing illegal immigrants from the equation only strengthens that edge. Yet the real stakes are American lives: unchecked migration has drained resources, with Trump threatening Rep. Ilhan Omar over alleged stolen funds exceeding $19 billion.
Homan’s arrival in Minneapolis promises a “draw down” if locals cooperate, a pragmatic pivot from the initial heavy hand. Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott backs him, criticizing rivalries that have undermined unity. As Trump shakes up the team—demoting figures like Greg Bovino back to California—the focus returns to results: protecting citizens, enforcing laws, and fulfilling the promise to make America safe again.
In the end, these adjustments reflect Trump’s hands-on style, weeding out weaknesses to deliver on his agenda. With Miller at the helm of policy and distractions like Lewandowski fading, the path forward looks clearer. But the media’s glee over every rift raises a question: who’s really rooting against secure borders?
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