Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was seen in Minnesota this week with Corey Lewandowski, reigniting rumors about an alleged romantic relationship between the two that first surfaced during her tenure as South Dakota governor.

According to TMZ, Noem and Lewandowski were photographed riding bicycles together on Tuesday at Lake Minnetonka in Wayzata, Minnesota. The two were observed stopping at a market and cafe called The Grocer's Table. Noem was reportedly wearing a flannel shirt and a floppy straw hat.

Noem, who previously served as Governor of South Dakota before being appointed Homeland Security Secretary, has repeatedly denied having an intimate relationship with Lewandowski. The allegations date back to 2021, when reports first emerged about the pair traveling together on state-related business. She was pressed on the matter under oath before congressional leaders and dismissed the allegations as "tabloid garbage."

Lewandowski, a veteran political operative best known as Donald Trump's 2016 campaign manager, has faced multiple controversies over the years, including a 2021 allegation of unwanted advances toward a Trump donor that led to his removal from a pro-Trump super PAC. He had since served as an unpaid adviser to Noem at the Department of Homeland Security before departing the agency.

President Donald Trump fired Noem from her Homeland Security post in March, subsequently reassigning her to a new role as Ambassador to the Shield of the Americas. The dismissal came amid growing scrutiny over her leadership at the department, which oversees immigration enforcement, border security, and emergency response.

Noem has been navigating divorce proceedings following the disclosure of what was described as her husband's "double life" and "bimbofication" fetish.

The images published by TMZ prompted swift reactions on social media. Several commenters noted the irony of Noem visiting Minnesota, given her role in implementing the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement policies, which originated in the state.

"Get the f--- out of my state you disgusting slag. And Noem, too," wrote Dane Rauschenberg, a long-distance runner and author, on X.

"If I were @KristiNoem, I simply would not feel safe in Minnesota after @ICEgov executed two Americans in their streets under her leadership," wrote TJ Adams-Falconer, a political strategist and former Obama spokesperson, on X.

"The Love Birds," wrote Scott Horton, a contributing editor at Harper's Magazine, on Bluesky.