These 3 Republicans are already 'knife-fighting' over who will be Trump’s WH chief of staff

22 October 2024

If former President Donald Trump wins the November election, who he would put in charge of his White House is down to a small handful of names. And a new report details how there's already a bitter fight brewing over the position.

The Daily Beast recently reported that candidates competing to be the ex-president's next White House chief of staff are in a "knife fight" to gain favor with Trump and undercut their rivals. According to the Beast's Sean Craig, some of the top choices include Brooke Rollins — who was Trump's Domestic Policy Council acting director during his first administration — as well as his current campaign senior advisor, Susie Wiles. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) is also rumored to be in consideration.

"The MAGA world around his campaign is swirling with chatter about three key figures that could be his chief of staff." Craig wrote, noting that unnamed Trumpworld sources are sniping at each of the three as they jockey for position.

Trump has previously complimented Rollins, saying that he likes how she's "tall" and has "the look." But she's relatively inexperienced, and only became the acting head of the trump White House's Domestic Policy Council during his last year in office. She went on to help launch the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), which rivals say could actually hurt her bid given AFPI's position on tariffs is opposite of what the former president has called for.

Under Rollins' leadership, AFPI was also hacked on multiple occasions, and at least one of these security breaches were reportedly carried out by Chinese operatives. This is reportedly already being used as ammunition to undermine her bid for the top job in a second Trump administration.

“The knife-fighting is underway,” one unnamed "Trump World confidant" told Politico. “Someone’s like, ‘Oh, she wants to be chief of staff? Well, she can’t even stop her own organization from getting hacked.’”

The Beast reported that Wiles is credited with "professionalizing" Trump's 2024 bid for the White House, and the chief of staff job would be hers "if she wants it." However, her critics have pointed out that she has little practical experience in D.C. outside of the 1970s and 1980s, when she was a Republican operative.

Wiles has, however, dealt with a "power struggle" earlier this year when Trump brought on his one-time 2016 campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, back into the fold. And she may not have the stomach to contend with the chief of staff job after running a nationwide presidential campaign for more than a year.

Surprisingly, Kevin McCarthy may be a strong contender to be chief of staff. As a previous House speaker, he's uniquely familiar with the legislative process and knows how to get legislation passed through Congress. But his true motivation may be to get back at the eight Republicans who voted with all Democrats to strip him of the gavel in October of 2023.

"He wants to hold to account those who pushed him out," an unnamed California-based Republican operative told Politico.

Click here to read the Beast's report in its entirety (subscription required).

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