Noem Adviser Corey Lewandowski Reportedly Fired a Coast Guard Pilot Mid-Flight Over a Missing Blanket

News outlets reported in mid-February 2026 that Corey Lewandowski, an adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, told a Coast Guard pilot he was fired mid-flight after the pilot declined to turn the aircraft around to retrieve Noem's personal items, including a heated blanket, left aboard a jet that had broken down. The pilot responded that firing him in flight would require an emergency landing to find a replacement; Lewandowski backed down and the pilot was reinstated. NBC News first reported the account and the Wall Street Journal also covered it. A DHS spokesperson declined to answer questions.

The reported episode bears on the chain of command over uniformed Coast Guard aircrew and the authority a political adviser may exercise over them. The administration has not confirmed the account, which rests on unnamed sources, and no investigation was reported.