US president-elect Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. — Reuters file
Donald Trump Jr. has risen as the most influential Trump family member in the transition as the president-elect constructs the most contentious cabinet in modern U.S. history, according to a half dozen sources familiar with his role, prioritizing inexperienced loyalists over more qualified candidates for key positions in his administration. Trump, who highly values loyalty, has often sought political counsel from family members, but which relative holds his ear can fluctuate. This time, it is Don Jr., who has influenced the ascent or decline of cabinet hopefuls - from advocating for Senator JD Vance as Trump's running mate to thwarting former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from joining the cabinet, according to the sources, which include donors, personal friends, and political allies. Don Jr. is set to join conservative venture capital fund 1789 Capital, though one source mentioned he will continue his politics-focused podcast and support candidates who align with Trump's political stance. He will offer counsel to his father in the White House, the source added, though they noted that Don Jr. is unlikely to be involved in daily deliberations. Don Jr. and the Trump-Vance transition team did not respond to a request for comment.
In addition to ensuring candidates are loyal to his father, Don Jr. generally seeks out contenders who support an anti-establishment perspective, including protectionist economic policies, and a decrease in military interventions and foreign aid, according to a few of the sources and Don Jr.'s own statements on social media platform X and in public. Two of the candidates Don Jr. supported may face a challenging confirmation process in the Senate: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump plans to nominate as the top U.S. health official, and Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump plans to nominate as intelligence chief. Kennedy is an environmental activist known for spreading misinformation about vaccines. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin had legitimate reasons for invading Ukraine and stirred controversy when she met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during his brutal crackdown on dissidents in 2017.
Don Jr. was also pivotal in persuading his father to choose his close friend Vance as Trump's running mate. Vance was well-received by Trump's base, but his anti-corporate stance, opposition to Ukraine aid, and past remarks criticizing some Democratic women as 'childless cat ladies' gave some donors and supporters pause. Trump was ultimately content with Vance, granting Don Jr. additional political leverage as an advisor during the transition, one of the sources noted. Not all of Don Jr.'s selections have secured jobs. He was keen on Ric Grenell, a personal friend and former ambassador to Germany, becoming secretary of state, according to a separate source familiar with the matter. His father eventually chose Senator Marco Rubio, whose views are considered too conventional and internationalist by Trump's core supporters.
Two sources close to Don Jr. mentioned that he does not weigh in on all personnel decisions and is not fully engaged in the transition process or at Mar-a-Lago. He is also not expected to play a significant role in vetting candidates for lower-level positions, one of the sources close to him said. 'The reality this time is we actually know what we're doing,' Don Jr. told Fox News earlier this month. 'And it's about surrounding my father with people who are both competent and loyal.'
Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner were prominent in his 2016 presidential campaign, the subsequent transition, and throughout his first term. This time, they are far less active, although Kushner, formerly Trump's senior adviser focused on the Middle East, told Reuters that he is briefing real estate investor Steve Witkoff on his new role as special envoy to the region. 'I have been working with Witkoff to get him up to speed on Trump's past efforts,' Kushner said through a spokesperson. A half-dozen sources close to Kushner expect him to be involved in Middle Eastern policy in an unofficial capacity, aiming to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia under an expansion of the 2020 Abraham Accords. Kushner helped broker the accords, a series of normalization agreements between Israel and Arab nations. Kushner, Ivanka, and sibling Eric Trump, who manages the Trump Organization business, do not plan to join the new administration, according to their representatives as well as sources.
One source close to the transition mentioned that Trump does not seem to rely on his family for advice as much as before due to aides like Susie Wiles, who assisted in running the most disciplined of his election campaigns to date. Trump has appointed Wiles as his chief of staff, a pivotal role in Washington. 'Stuff is really buttoned down,' the source said about Trump's current team. 'He may not need the family this time like he used to.'
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