Loyal, disciplined, discreet
These are Trump’s closest campaign advisors
February 1, 2024, 8:22 p.m
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Donald Trump wants to move into the White House again at the end of the year. But it’s still a rocky road until then. In order for the election campaign to be successful, the Republican is relying on a conspiratorial group. An ex-Marine and an advisor who helped Ronald Reagan play an important role.
When Donald Trump ran for the US presidential election four years ago, he was supported by a loose group of advisers that at times left a chaotic impression with power struggles, media leaks and layoffs. This time things are going differently, as is clear from conversations with more than a dozen people close to his campaign team.
An inner circle of around six close advisors is steadfastly loyal, works in a disciplined manner and largely stays in the background. Democrat Joe Biden will be dealing with a first-class Trump campaign team, says Republican adviser Scott Reed. “Most of the followers were eliminated.”
“They just want victory”
After the primary election in Iowa, two of the most important members of the new district were in the spotlight for a fleeting moment: former Marine Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, who campaigned for Ronald Reagan in 1980. “They don’t want fame, they just want victory and they want to make America great again,” Trump said to the two who stood behind him on the stage. “They don’t want to give speeches, they don’t want to take pictures, they just want to do their job, right?” Both appear differently to the media: LaCivita appears talkative, Wiles more withdrawn with curt answers.
“Most people don’t know who Susie Wiles is. Most people don’t know who Chris LaCivita is. That’s not a bad thing,” said Corey Lewandowski, a Trump 2016 campaign adviser. “They do their job every day.” Then there is the man whose name is emblazoned on the fuselage of the plane: “That’s Donald Trump, and that’s how he likes it.”
In fact, it is also true that the businessman acts independently of his advisors and makes unsolicited comments that do not go down well with moderate voters. LaCivita confirmed the hierarchy in the interview: “There is no confusion about the chain of command,” said the veteran, who was wounded in the 1991 Gulf War. “He’s at the top.”
Team meeting every morning at 9 a.m
According to an insider, a total of about three dozen campaign team members work in a nondescript building in Palm Springs, not far from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. The inner circle meets every morning at 9 a.m. to plan and discuss problems. It is important that everyone is heard in order to avoid power struggles.
“We insist that we will not leave a meeting until everyone pulls together.” According to the information, it is Wiles who then discusses any problems with Trump, whom they meet several times a week. Wiles and LaCivita always give consistent recommendations to their candidates.
According to insiders, Wiles is also responsible for finances and travel. Dealing with the media is therefore the responsibility of Jason Miller and Steven Cheung, who worked as head of communications at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – an organizer of mixed martial arts. Dan Scavino handles social media.
Also in the inner circle is Brian Jack, who held a senior position in the White House during Trump’s first term in office. He is responsible for most of the contacts with other politicians. In addition, there is no attempt to dissuade Trump from his habit of seeking advice from many different people, says LaCivita. “But what we already have in terms of our structure is a close group.”