Overview

Background

Lewandowski was born on September 18, 1973, in Lowell, Massachusetts. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and later obtained a master's degree in political science from American University. He worked as legislative political director for the Republican National Committee's Northeast region and held senior positions with several members of Congress. Before entering the Trump orbit, he led the New Hampshire chapter of Americans for Prosperity, the conservative advocacy group funded by the Koch brothers.

He served as the first campaign manager for Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. While his approach helped Trump win the Republican nomination, it also irked many in the party and on the Trump team itself. In June 2016, Lewandowski was fired from the campaign. He went on to work as a political commentator for CNN, and then in December 2016 opened a lobbying firm in Washington. His post-2016 career was marked by further turbulence: in September 2021, Lewandowski was cast out of the Trump operation after an allegation of unwanted sexual advances. In August 2024, Trump unexpectedly brought Lewandowski back into his orbit as the 2024 campaign entered its final stretch.

Public Role in the Second Trump Administration

Special Government Employee at DHS

On February 11, 2025, Lewandowski entered DHS as a special government employee (SGE), a temporary, advisory status that cannot exceed 130 days in length within a 365-day period. It is an unpaid post that does not require divesting from other business interests. Lewandowski became a fixture at DHS, serving as Secretary Noem's chief adviser. On paper, he was originally tapped as a special government employee — a role meant to span a limited number of days. He was not included on the department's leadership list, but in other DHS materials he was described as chief adviser to the secretary.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Lewandowski initially wanted to serve as Noem's chief of staff, but this was rejected by Trump out of concern over rumors of a romantic relationship between him and Noem. The White House monitored Lewandowski's working hours to ensure he did not exceed the 130-day legal limit for SGEs. Despite the formal constraints of the SGE designation, congressional investigators and news organizations documented an influence that exceeded the role's formal scope.

Influence Over Personnel and FEMA

Lewandowski's growing influence over DHS was strikingly evident in his push to help the Trump administration dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency. On the campaign trail, Trump had railed against FEMA for its response to Hurricane Helene, branding it partisan and ineffective. From the early days of the administration, Lewandowski made his intentions clear: he would be the president's point man determined to take FEMA apart.

Lewandowski's hard-charging style quickly set him on a collision course with Cameron Hamilton, Trump's first acting FEMA administrator. The two clashed repeatedly, with Lewandowski ultimately orchestrating Hamilton's abrupt and public downfall, according to multiple sources who spoke with CNN. Just hours before Hamilton was scheduled to testify before Congress, he was accidentally alerted of his impending termination. He then broke with the administration, telling lawmakers he could not support the plan to eliminate FEMA. He was fired the next day.

During their time at DHS, Noem and Lewandowski fired or demoted about 80 percent of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field leadership who had been at the agency for a long time before the pair arrived, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Noem and Lewandowski also installed roughly a dozen other DHS officials in FEMA's front office and forced out most of the agency's remaining career leadership.

Contracting Questions

In July 2025, Secretary Noem implemented a new policy to give herself a more significant role in awarding DHS funds to government contractors by requiring all DHS contracts and grants over $100,000 to be personally approved by her. The previous threshold requiring approval by the secretary of homeland security had been $25 million. Congressional investigators alleged that the policy change was driven at least in part by Lewandowski.

Additional information came to light describing how Lewandowski exercised influence over decisions at FEMA through a contractor, Kara Voorhies, who appeared to have been paid an exorbitant salary. The Wall Street Journal reported that Lewandowski installed Voorhies at FEMA as a contractor with an unclear role. Voorhies and another associate became gatekeepers and chief enforcers in the campaign to root out spending and shrink the agency's footprint. Approvals for contracts, grants, and everyday operations slowed to a crawl.

Separately, an Axios reporter spotted Lewandowski loudly discussing DHS vendor contracts on the phone at Reagan National Airport. Lewandowski reportedly mentioned a drone program, as well as Peter Thiel's Palantir. A spokesperson for Lewandowski said he was not involved in any conversations about seeking government contracts.

Recent Developments

In March 2026, House Ranking Members Robert Garcia, Rick Larsen, and Bennie G. Thompson called for an investigation by the DHS Office of Inspector General into Lewandowski's employment after months of what they described as extraordinary influence wielded as a special government employee. They demanded that DHS preserve all communications and internal records concerning Lewandowski's role within the department, as well as the department's practices related to contracting, personnel, and the handling of classified materials.

Lewandowski, who had served as a top adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, no longer has a role with DHS, a spokesperson confirmed in late March 2026. Noem was fired by Trump and reassigned as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere. Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma was chosen by Trump as her successor. Lewandowski was fired amidst reports he had had an affair with Noem. Noem called the affair rumors "tabloid garbage" during a House Judiciary Committee hearing. Both Noem and Lewandowski, who are married to other people, denied the reports.

Outlook

Lewandowski's tenure at DHS illustrates the recurring dynamic of his relationship with the Trump world: proximity to power achieved through personal loyalty, followed by departure under contested circumstances. The congressional investigations into DHS contracting and FEMA management that his tenure prompted remain active, and their outcomes will bear on the broader question of how informal authority operated inside the department during Noem's tenure.

Whether Lewandowski re-enters government service or returns to the consulting and media work that has occupied him between administration stints is unclear. His history suggests continued proximity to Trump-aligned politics, though the circumstances of his exit from DHS — fired alongside a cabinet secretary amid personal controversy and legislative scrutiny — leave his standing within the administration's inner circle uncertain. Allegations of Lewandowski engaging in personnel decisions, contracting decisions, and other operations of DHS that fall outside the scope of an SGE's limited authority remain the subject of ongoing oversight requests as of mid-2026.