What did Donald Trump do today?

He pretended he didn't know about a salacious affair two of his closest advisors were having at taxpayer expense.

Kristi Noem is Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security, known for shooting her own dog and using an infamous Salvadoran torture prison as set dressing for a propaganda video. Corey Lewandowski is one of her aides, and also a former Trump campaign operative who was caught selling meetings with Trump. He's also assaulted a reporter from Trump-friendly Breitbart Media and sexually harassed at least two other women in Trump's orbit. 

The two are both married to other people, but have been carrying on an affair as an open secret for years. Last week, the Wall Street Journal ran an exposé on the affair and the luxury plane with separate private cabins that Noem and Lewandowski have been using to travel together. The plane is leased at taxpayer expense, but Noem wants the Treasury to spend $70m to buy it outright. Among other amenities, the 737 Max 8 BBJ is equipped with onboard bidets and a wine chiller in what the seller called the "VVIP cabin configuration."

That article also highlighted bizarre, if faintly chivalrous acts that Noem and Lewandowski have performed for each other. Lewandowski tried to fire the jet's pilot mid-flight after Noem's favorite blanket was left on another aircraft, while Noem has been quietly backing Lewandowski's quest to be issued a badge and gun as a DHS agent. (Lewandowski, a lifelong political operative, has no law enforcement or military experience.)

Today, Trump—who cheated on his first wife with his second, and his second wife with his third, before cheating on his third wife with a porn star, among other infidelities—was asked about whether Noem and Lewandowski's behavior was "a good look." He responded:

I don't know about that. I mean, I haven't heard that. Uhh… I'll find out about it, but, I have not heard that.

But that is a lie, as the WSJ story makes clear. Trump, who at one point in 2024 was considering Noem as his running mate, actively rejected the idea of hiring Lewandowski into an actual staff position at DHS because he knew what was going on between them.

Noem and Lewandowski’s close relationship had already made Trump and his top advisers uncomfortable. Lewandowski had initially wanted to formally serve as Noem’s chief of staff, but Trump rejected the idea due to reports of a romantic relationship between the two—which he has continued to bring up, officials say. 

This isn't even the only time in Trump's second term that cabinet-level officials have been caught using expensive private aircraft to advance their love-lives. FBI Director Kash Patel has been using a similarly luxurious private jet to ferry his girlfriend around the country.

Why does this matter? 

• For people who don't work for the Trump administration, lying about having an affair with a subordinate and spending other people's money to do it would have consequences. 
  
  
• Luxury jets with private bedrooms for the exclusive use of government officials is wrong even if they're not using it as a love-nest for adultery. 

• Presidents are responsible for the choices that people in their administration make.