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| - During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about the Department of Homeland Security, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, “Well, Secretary Noem, we still haven't gotten a clear answer about this text from Mr. Lewandowski that says ‘see you on the Flying F*** Shop.’”
Rumors circulated online in early March 2026 that Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., chastised former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about a salacious text message from her special adviser Corey Lewandowski.
Users on social media platforms like Threads (archived) shared the claim following Noem's testimony in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about her leadership of the Department of Homeland Security. The hearing took place days before U.S. President Donald Trump fired Noem from her position.
According to the rumor, the purported statement Tillis made was, "Well, Secretary Noem, we still haven't gotten a clear answer about this text from Mr. Lewandowski that says 'see you on the Flying F*** Shop.'"
The purported quote was incorrectly attributed to Tillis. Neither he nor anyone else said it during the hearing. Rather, the Facebook account (archived) that posted the quote appeared to have fabricated it. We reached out the account to confirm they originated the quote in question and to ask if they intended the post satirically. We will update this article if we receive a response.
The hearing, which took place on March 3, 2026, is available to watch in twoparts on C-SPAN.
Tillis' questioning begins around the 10-minute mark in Part 2 of C-SPAN's recording of the hearing and is also available to watch as an isolated clip on C-SPAN's YouTube page.
Tillis directed about 10 minutes of criticism at Noem during his allotted time, including calling for her resignation. A full viewing of the hearing and review of C-SPAN's transcript revealed neither Tillis nor any other participant made the statement in question.
Instead, the post referencing a "Flying F*** Shop" appeared to be an attempt to capitalize on the headlines generated both by the "combative" hearing, as CNN described it, and a February 2026 story by The Wall Street Journal that reported an affair between Noem and Corey Lewandowski, a lobbyist working as a special adviser to DHS.
The WSJ said Noem and Lewandowski have publicly denied the affair but that insiders reported "they do little to hide their relationship inside the department." The pair have reportedly "been using a luxury 737 MAX jet, with a private cabin in back, for their travel around the country" that DHS leased with plans to acquire it for $70 million of taxpayer money.
NBC News reported interior images of the luxury jet, which featured "a bedroom with a queen bed, showers, a kitchen, four large flat-screen TVs and even a bar."
The alleged affair and use of the plane received significant media attention in February 2026, including a segment on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."
During the March 3 hearing, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse asked Noem about the plane. She responded that photos reported by NBC were not accurate. Noem further stated that DHS would save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollarsby purchasing the plane and that the bedroom was being removed.
Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove asked Noem about the affair directly during the House Judiciary Committee hearing that took place the following day, March 4, 2026.
In a clip available to view on YouTube, Kamlager-Dove asked Noem about sexual relations with Lewandowski, which Noem responded to by saying, "I am shocked that we're going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee today."
Sources
- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojWizI0g6bA. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEEHPeK_LJU. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTLFeOmlOMU. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
"Homeland Security Secretary Noem Testifies on Agency Oversight Hearing, Part 1." C-SPAN, C-SPAN, 3 Mar. 2026, https://www.c-span.org/program/senate-committee/homeland-security-secretary-noem-testifies-on-agency-oversight-hearing-part-1/674062.
"Homeland Security Secretary Noem Testifies on Agency Oversight Hearing, Part 2." C-SPAN, C-SPAN, 3 Mar. 2026, https://www.c-span.org/program/senate-committee/homeland-security-secretary-noem-testifies-on-agency-oversight-hearing-part-2/674636.
"Jimmy Kimmel on Trump's State of the Union: 'A Nutjob Wannabe King.'" The Guardian, 25 Feb. 2026. Culture. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/feb/25/jimmy-kimmel-trump-state-of-the-union.
Michelle Hackman, Josh Dawsey and Tarini Parti. "A Pilot Fired Over Kristi Noem's Missing Blanket and the Constant Chaos Inside DHS." The Wall Street Journal, The Wall Street Journal, 12 Feb. 2026, https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/chaos-kristi-noem-homeland-security-f095ac95?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdIoVW36-Cgxcd1jKEn5vZIptD0Q6T7MAuHHJVpG-RPVZ-v9-UFCd4FVLngIQI%3D&gaa_ts=69a9bbfc&gaa_sig=rL6mvCtPxAN541WIyq1hqopo-9ycqYEgA4xtQQ6Ba-JGdGenQ2mspQz-nujjBF3WjpX9XVXbawSXcZcjQb4cEg%3D%3D.
"'No Expense Has Been Spared': Inside a Luxury Jet DHS Wants to Buy for Deportations." NBC News, 19 Feb. 2026, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/no-expense-spared-luxury-jet-dhs-wants-buy-deportations-rcna259425.
Sen. Thom Tillis Calls for Noem's Resignation at DHS Hearing over Immigration "Disaster." apnews.com, https://apnews.com/video/sen-thom-tillis-calls-for-noems-resignation-at-dhs-hearing-over-immigration-disaster-e975d65f4d5344acae38910fb16f94d9. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
"WATCH: DHS Secretary Noem Returns to Capitol Hill for House Judiciary Hearing." PBS News, 4 Mar. 2026, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-dhs-secretary-noem-returns-to-capitol-hill-for-house-judiciary-hearing.
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