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Lewandowski in the West Wing…at Noem’s Inaugural?

Corey Lewandowski appears to have flown from new Hampshire to South Dakota this weekend to enjoy a front-row seat at the second inauguration of Governor Kristi Noem, the woman he’s been grooming throughout her time in Pierre for a nationwide campaign. South Dakota Public Broadcasting video of the event Saturday afternoon appears to show the troubled Trump and Noem advisor in the second row of seats in the West Wing of the Second Floor of the Capitol, just down the hall from the Governor’s Office.

Before Noem and the other poobahs enter, the seat in question, in the second row of seats at the west edge of the Rotunda (top of photo) remains empty.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting, 2023 Inaugural Coverage, live streamed 2023.01.07, screen cap at timestamp 0:02:39.
South Dakota Public Broadcasting, 2023 Inaugural Coverage, live streamed 2023.01.07, retrieved from YouTube, screen cap at timestamp 0:02:39.

The state officers come marching in from their staging area in the West Wing, where the Governor’s Office is, to trumpets. Incredibly, SDPB shows us Chris Nelson and Brock Greenfield trooping in but cuts to emcee Bill Zortman before Governor Noem and First Gentleman Bryon march in. But when we next see this particular camera angle, from the Third Floor balcony, House side, as the National Anthem begins, we see that seat in the West Wing second row occupied by a lean man with a buzz cut, a yellow tie, and a nice direct line of sight to the Governor over the short guy standing in front of him:

SDPB, 2023 Inaugural, screen cap at 0:06:49.
SDPB, 2023 Inaugural, screen cap at 0:06:49.
SDPB, 2023 Inaugural, screen cap at 0:10:28.
SDPB, 2023 Inaugural, screen cap at 0:10:28.
Geoff Diehl campaign, "Diehl for MA - Thank You Kristi Noem," campaign video posted 2022.08.26; screen cap at timestamp 1:04.
I know angry white people all look the same, but buzz cut in the West Wing second row looks a lot like Corey Lewandowski, seen in the center of this August photo with Kristi Noem on a campaign trip in Boston for Lewandowski’s failed pal Geoff Diehl, from Diehl campaign video, “Diehl for MA – Thank You Kristi Noem,” campaign video posted 2022.08.26; screen cap at timestamp 1:04.

From that seat, buzz cut got a nice view of Noem side-hugging her husband Bryon right after swearing her oath.

SDPB, 2023 Inaugural, 0:32:14
SDPB, 2023 Inaugural, screen cap at 0:32:14

The clearest shot of our West Wing guest comes at 1:02:58, about 14 minutes into Noem’s speech, at which point SDPB finally directs a camera right toward the West Wing:

SDPB, Inaugural video, 1:02:58
SDPB, Inaugural video, 1:02:58

I’m pretty sure that’s Corey Lewandowski paying close attention to his protégé’s speech.

Random Reflection: One of the SDPB cameras appears to have been broadcasting in mirror mode. Consider at 18:06, the main SDPB camera shows Noem’s Tribal Affairs Secretary David Flute holding his headdress in his left hand. That main camera also shows the posters at the main/South Capitol entryway with the text properly oriented. But when SDPB cuts to the balcony camera stationed above the inaugural stage, looking north toward the grand staircase,

SDPB, 0:18:09.
SDPB, 0:18:09.
SDPB, 0:18:12.
SDPB, 0:18:12.

10 Comments

  1. Donald Pay

    “…the woman he’s been grooming….” Nice choice of words.

  2. Jake

    Interesting, for sure….

  3. Jake

    Never fear, the grudz is near, he’ll give us a gravy-laden reason I’m sure.

  4. grudznick

    Mr. Jake, the Public Broadcasting is a very libbie organization and will stoop to any length to surreptitiously sabotage broadcasts of Ms. Noem, as they sit in their palatial offices and snicker behind ornate locked doors while eating trays of fancy cheese bought with the Governor’s graciously provided wages. It is known.

  5. leslie

    “stoop to any length to surreptitiously sabotage broadcasts of Ms. Noem”

    …in other words to tell the truth behind NOEM’s lying Trumpism. For example:

    “Jon Schaff, a political science professor at Northern State University in Aberdeen, blames Noem’s low approval rating on “unforced errors.” He said those errors include her widely mocked “We’re On It” (remember Warp Speed?) advertising campaign to raise awareness about methamphetamine use; her veto of a hemp legalization bill that many lawmakers in her own party supported (remember Kevin McCarthy told Trump Jan. 6 rioters were ‘trying to f***ing kill’ him as Trump said: “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are”); and a raise she gave to her daughter, who is on the governor’s staff.“ SDPB 2020

    Or: “The administration never punished Saudi leaders for Khashoggi’s killing or for their military actions in Yemen.

    Trump went as far as vetoing two bipartisan measures that would have banned Saudi weapons sales as a result of their bombing campaign there. All of this colors the $2 billion investment that Kushner received from MBS last year, says Kathleen Clark, an ethics professor.

    Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN):

    Unanimously, the United States Senate has said that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

    Sooo…”as they sit in their palatial offices and snicker behind ornate locked doors while eating trays of fancy cheese bought with the Governor’s graciously provided wages. It is known” is just more grdz bullsheit fodder from his authoritarian, trumpist likely Putin joy boys we are forced to wade thru here EVERY DAY.

  6. grudz, of course the intelligent people who work on public television are libbies. Duh.

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