Florida’s Palm Beach When Donald Trump enters office in two weeks, fewer people will have direct access to the president because new chief of staff Susie Wiles is trying to make the new West Wing organization more efficient.
The transition team is reducing the number of senior White House employees designated as Assistant to the President, which grants a staffer the authority to enter the Oval Office and bring non-staff visitors in to meet with the president, in an attempt to improve communication with Trump.
According to someone with knowledge of the transition, the president will only have a certain number of assistants.
Among those not given the title are Trump’s recently appointed political affairs director and legislative affairs director, which are jobs that normally carry the moniker.
Rather, through its deputy chiefs of staff, including his longtime valued associates Stephen Miller, Taylor Budowich, and Dan Scavino, the incoming White House’s top staff is attempting to steer the information flow to Trump.
A request for comment from the Trump transition team was not answered.
More senior staff members were granted the freedom to speak with Trump personally during his first term.
The new arrangement will resemble the kind of structure that Wiles aimed to establish during the 2024 presidential campaign, which concentrated direct decision-making power in a small group of senior staff members. Notably, however, this structure did not aim to limit Trump’s personal freedom to speak with whomever he wanted. Compared to Trump’s previous eight years in politics, this approach proved effective during his two years as a candidate and produced minimal internal turmoil.
Theoretically, access should go through the assistants, but each person’s relationship with Trump will ultimately determine their level of access, a source told NBC News.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!