Trump loyalists are fighting over who would join his second administration: report

16 November 2023

The New York Times, the Washington Post and many other major media outlets have reported that a second Trump Administration would be much more dangerous than the first because it would be comprised entirely of unquestioning, devout loyalists.

During Donald Trump's four years in the White House, a long list of conservatives pushed back against ideas they considered dangerous — from former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to former White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly to former National Security Adviser John Bolton. But if Trump wins the 2024 presidential election, according to the Times and the Post, he plans to avoid such conflicts by hiring only the most MAGA of loyalists.

Exactly who those loyalists would be, however, is a battle taking place behind closed doors in Trumpworld, the Daily Beast's Zachary Petrizzo reports.

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In an article published on November 16, Petrizzo describes tensions between the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) and others in Trumpworld.

AFPI, according to Petrizzo, has made recommendations for a second Trump Administration. But others in Trumpworld have different ideas.

"The Daily Beast reviewed an internal AFPI e-mail showing staff inside the organization collecting names and seeking recommendations for future Trump Administration posts," Petrizzo explains. "When Trump campaign operatives got word of that effort, they saw it not only as premature, but also, not AFPI's place."

Petrizzo notes that "most in Trump's orbit" who spoke to the Daily Beast "were clear they don't think AFPI is trying to sabotage Trump in any way." But former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro was downright biting in his criticism of AFPI.

"All they are doing is misusing the Trump brand to raise money to hand out extravagant stipends and pay extravagant rent for their policy operation that doesn't reflect Trump policy," Navarro told the Beast. "They oughta shut that place down now and just turn things over to (Trump adviser) Susie Wiles. Trump knows where to find people to hire. Susie knows where to find people to hire."

A Trump adviser, quoted anonymously, was highly critical of the Heritage Foundation's recommendations for a second Trump Administration.

That adviser told the Beast, "Heritage has become so irrelevant over the years. Nobody should be jumping the gun that much…. At least the people at AFPI, half of them worked for the administration... Heritage is trying to figure out a way to be relevant."

Read the Daily Beast's full report at this link (subscription required).

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