Homeland Security senior advisor Corey Lewandowski’s decision to fire Kristi Noem’s pilot wasn’t only about a forgotten blanket on a plane.

According to three Department of Homeland Security (DHS) insiders, another item left behind on that flight last spring—a bag belonging to Noem—was at the heart of the issue.

The contents of the bag remain a mystery, with no one disclosing what was inside. However, the incident triggered a series of events including a firing, a rehiring, a promotion, and even the awarding of a medal.

The situation culminated in a rather unusual explanation: Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, 54, allegedly left her favorite weighted blanket on her official plane and was upset it didn’t accompany her during an aircraft switch.

“This was never about a blanket,” an insider familiar with the situation revealed to the Daily Mail. “The blanket was merely a distraction from the real issue—the bag that was left behind.”

The controversy became public knowledge in early February after reports emerged that Lewandowski had dismissed the pilot for failing to transfer the blanket.

The pilot was initially relieved of his duty and ordered to take a commercial flight home, but then rehired because no one else was available to fly them back, according to the reports.

But there is much more to the incident than that, the Daily Mail has learned – and it is the contents of Noem’s bag that are now in question.

Corey Lewandowski had a meltdown last spring when his boss, Kristi Noem, left her bag on a flight, three DHS sources told the Daily Mail

Kamryn Jones, 38, the military aide who was on plane with Noem, was awarded with a Legion of Merit medal by the Secretary. It is one of the military’s most prestigious decorations

Coast Guard turned DHS senior advisor Keith Thomas is seen at his June 9 Change of Command ceremony. Lewandowski’s initial reaction was to fire Thomas, a commanding officer for the Coast Guard in Washington, directing him to take a commercial flight home

Noem’s relationship with Lewandowski, her top aide and frequent companion, has come under scrutiny after the Daily Mail caught him leaving her place in DC. Both are still married to other people and both have denied having an affair with each other. 

The flashpoint came after they touched down on that spring trip. Once on the ground, the pair had to switch from their Gulfstream private jet to fly back to Washington on a different plane.

Lewandowski had his meltdown shortly after takeoff upon discovering the bag – and maybe the blanket – had failed to make it onto the second plane, according to sources.

Lewandowski’s initial reaction was to fire the pilot, Keith Thomas, a commanding officer for the Coast Guard in Washington, directing him to take a commercial flight home.

But then Lewandowski, 52, was told they would be stuck on the tarmac because there was no one to fly them to their next destination.

So Lewandowski quickly rehired Thomas, 46.

Noem is seen boarding a plane in May 2025. The Washington Post initially reported the blanket story in August last year with sparse detail, writing that Noem and her staff had grown irritated when the secretary’s blanket was not provided to her, and that the incident had ‘escalated’

When contacted by the Daily Mail, Thomas (center) declined to comment on the plane incident, stating, ‘As a military officer, I do not comment on past or current missions’

Lewandowski discovered that at least two people were aware of the contents of his alleged paramour’s bag and that this could be embarrassing, sources told the Daily Mail.

Was it mere coincidence then, that Thomas – who, weeks earlier, had been fired as a pilot – was promoted to become a DHS senior advisor, and the aide close to Noem on the trip, Kamryn Jones, 38, was also rewarded?

In September Noem awarded Jones with a Legion of Merit medal, one of the military’s most prestigious decorations.

And on September 20, Noem even posted a smiley photo on Instagram showing her presenting the award to Jones.

When contacted by the Daily Mail, Thomas declined to comment on the plane incident, stating, ‘As a military officer, I do not comment on past or current missions.’

Thomas was commander of Coast Guard’s VIP transportation unit, based in Washington, DC, piloting the service’s two Gulfstream C-37Bs (G550s) in charge of transportation of senior Coast Guard officers and the secretary of Homeland Security.

He left that position in June. In August, he was given a senior advisory role. Two DHS sources told the Daily Mail Thomas was given a leadership role for a newly created air division serving DHS headquarters. 

One DHS source said Thomas resigned in late January, shortly before Lewandowski’s meltdown became widely reported. 

Jones referred the Daily Mail to the Coast Guard, which, in turn, referred us to Noem’s Department of Homeland Security.

Noem brought Lewandowski (right) along to the department as a ‘special government employee.’ Lewandowski is pictured accompanying her to Colombia in March 2025

Thomas, who had been fired as a pilot, was then promoted to become a DHS senior advisor, and the aide close to Noem on the trip, Kamryn Jones, 38, was also rewarded

The Washington Post initially reported the blanket story in August last year with sparse detail, writing that Noem and her staff had grown irritated when the secretary’s blanket was not provided to her, and that the incident had ‘escalated.’

NBC News took it further last week with a report that Noem had to switch planes after a maintenance issue and that her blanket wasn’t moved to the second plane.

The outlet reported that Lewandowski confronted the pilot shortly after take off, demanding initially that they turn around to retrieve the personal items. Lewandowski’s confrontation with the pilot occurred when he entered the cockpit of the plane, according to Reuters.

But neither outlet mentioned the bag and its contents that was the real source of the concern.

It’s not the first time Noem has had an incident involving her bag with embarrassing consequences.

Just a month before the airplane debacle, on April 19, she had her purse stolen at the Capital Burger restaurant in Washington, DC, while dining with her family.

Surprisingly, in these days when most people pay by credit card, the bag contained $3,000 in cash as well as Noem’s passport, medications and her DHS access pass among other personal items.

A man wearing a medical mask was caught on security camera stealing it from under her chair and two suspects were later arrested.

The Daily Mail spotted DHS advisor Corey Lewandowski leaving DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s apartment complex clutching a duffel bag on April 24, 2025

The pair hold some of the highest security clearances in the country, a status that requires strict adherence to federal standards.

A Homeland Security memo written in March and exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail warned DHS leadership about granting Lewandowski top secret security clearance.

The memo revealed that he disclosed on a security clearance form that he sought treatment in 2022 for alcohol and substance abuse disorder.

The memo further stated that Lewandowski voluntarily continues to seek counseling for alcohol use.

The pair moved into the Coast Guard Commandant’s quarters last summer after the Daily Mail revealed Lewandowski’s frequent clandestine visits to Noem’s home in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington.

Neither Noem, Lewandowski, DHS nor the White House responded to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.