The White House was reportedly forced to step in after Kristi Noem and her alleged lover Corey Lewandowski cooked up a plan that briefly sent travelers into a panic.
The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to temporarily halt TSA PreCheck amid a partial government shutdown was devised by the Homeland Security secretary and her adviser, administration sources told The Washington Post, but it was quickly reversed after the White House intervened.
The embattled agency, whose funding has left lawmakers in a deadlock, announced on Saturday that it planned to suspend popular expedited security screening programs beginning 6 a.m. on Sunday—then took back its own pronouncement just hours later.
The DHS initially said it planned to pause TSA PreCheck and Global Entry in order to “refocus Department personnel on the majority of travelers.”
“Shutdowns have serious real-world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security,” Noem, 54, said Sunday.
But the TSA swiftly contradicted her, confirming that PreCheck “remains operational.”
“At this time, TSA PreCheck remains operational with no change for the traveling public,” a TSA spokesperson previously told the Daily Beast. “As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations accordingly.”
The DHS did not immediately return a request for comment from the Daily Beast. A spokesperson for the agency told the Post that it decided to handle TSA PreCheck on an airport-by-airport basis to avoid straining its workforce. A White House spokesperson referred the Post to DHS.
The outlet also reported that Lewandowski did not address questions about his role in pausing TSA PreCheck. The former Trump adviser has been working for the DHS as a special government employee, despite the role only allowing him to work 130 days a year without disclosing or relinquishing his business interests.
As the shutdown continues, Lewandowski told the Post, the department’s policy is to “prioritize the general traveling public to make sure they travel through the line as quickly as possible.” He said decisions on how to do that are being made “on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the airport director.”
Noem and Lewandowski are both married with kids, but their alleged affair has been described as the “worst-kept secret in D.C.”
Just last week, Trump was cornered on whether the alleged affair was a “bad look” for the administration. Noem showed off her husband, Bryon, on Monday as rumors of her affair generated renewed interest.
“I don’t know about that, I mean, I haven’t heard that,” the president told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I’ll find out about it, but I have not heard about it.”
Trump, however, has reportedly made quips that suggest he knows about the secret romance. The New York Post reported that the 79-year-old president and known germophobe regularly tells an anecdote about catching Noem and Lewandowski drinking from the same soda can.
“You can’t do that, it’s pretty obvious!” Trump has said, according to the outlet’s sources. “You can’t do that, everyone’s going to know!”
