Trump aide Corey Lewandowski “put in a box” by Trump and ordered to narrow focus to New Hampshire

As former President Donald Trump entered his final weeks of campaigning, the uneasy relationship between rival factions of his campaign’s leadership has grown more testy, with sources telling CBS News that his controversial adviser Corey Lewandowski has been “put in a box” — and re-assigned to focus on New Hampshire.

Although Lewandowski has continued to travel with the former president to battleground states, Trump told his 2016 co-campaign manager during a recent campaign trip that his “sole focus is to win New Hampshire,” those sources told CBS News, asking not to be named because they were not authorized to talk about internal campaign moves.

One source close to the campaign called Lewandowski a “smart political operative but disruptive” to a team led by Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, which has largely coalesced with a unified purpose: winning in November. Although Lewandowski has allegedly been sidelined by Trump, the source said, it doesn’t mean he is out completely. In Trump’s world anyone can be replaced and anyone can be brought back when needed.  

The move was first reported by The Guardian, which said Lewandowski had caused rancor internally in the campaign by threatening to take over the Trump campaign and conducting an audit of co-chair Chris La Civita’s handling of campaign funds. Sources told CBS News the audit threat has led to a power struggle between Lewandowski and LaCivita.

Lewandowski has disputed the notion that his role has been diminished, writing via text message last week: “Not accurate. I will be with President Trump all weekend and for the next 23 days.”

He followed up with a phone call and told CBS News he is a volunteer on the campaign and always has been. “My job is to help make America great again and to help President Trump get elected,” Lewandowski said. 

Lewandowski is a mercurial figure with a reputation for bare-knuckle campaigning. His approach is to “let Trump be Trump,” whatever that may bring. And on a personal level, in his years on the national political stage, he has faced a string of harassment accusations dating back to the former president’s first run. One of those accusers, Trashelle Odom, spoke to CBS News last week in her first TV interview about the incident. 

“I just broke down,” she said about learning of Lewandowski’s return to Trump’s inner circle. “I was very, very upset.” Odom also expressed concerns about what might happen to other women now that he “has his power back.” 

In 2021, Odom, then the wife of a wealthy Republican donor, was attending a charity event at a Las Vegas hotel when she found herself sitting next to Lewandowski who she says targeted her that night. 

“I felt like I was his prey,” she said. Soon, according to Odom, Lewandowski began touching her. “He was … putting his hands, like on my lap,” and he attempted to “just caress my leg and like going up my side and like, trying to touch my butt.” She said when she left the dinner, Lewandowski followed her through the hotel.

Odom reported Lewandowski to the police, and he was charged with misdemeanor battery but later reached an agreement with prosecutors to dismiss the charges in exchange for community service, a $1,000 fine, enrollment in an impulse control class and an apology in court to Odom for “any discomfort he may have caused her.”

Asked for comment, Lewandowski’s lawyers responded that the case had been dismissed, but they did not address Odom’s allegations.

But years before Odom encountered Lewandowski, he had faced other accusations, including from one woman who told police he “slapped her buttocks against her will and without her consent” during a holiday party at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. The woman later declined to pursue charges. 

In another episode, Lewandowski was seen on CCTV grabbing a reporter’s arm following a press conference in Florida. Following their investigation, authorities chose not to charge him, a point reiterated by his lawyers when asked for comment by CBS News.

Renewed scrutiny of Lewandowski’s history with women comes as the Trump campaign has been trying to attract female voters. A recent CBS News poll showed a gender gap of 9 points among likely voters nationwide.