Upon his inauguration into the White House, Donald Trump presented to the world an entirely new type of political leadership, which is rooted in personal loyalty, long-term relationships, and intuitions of the business world. Trump trusted his close circle of friends, as opposed to using expert advice of experienced politicians or policy experts. The presidency was not only characterized by his choices, but the power and sway of people he was close to.
Access was power in the world of Trump. And the inner circle kept on changing.
Who was the real power behind the scenes then? We shall discuss the main personalities who influenced one of the most cutting-edge presidents in the history of the United States.
Power Through Proximity: The way Trump Selects His Company.
Trump had faith in his gut instincts, unlike the former presidents who were more inclined to rely on the institutional advisors. He valued:
Fierce loyalty
Personal chemistry
Business success
Media savvy
You would be able to shape the key policy-makers precisely insofar as you understood Trump, the way he thought, what he desired, and how to capture his focus. But that power came with risk. A single conflict or an ugly headline and you might end up out of the door.
The inner ring was not so much government, as a boardroom with high stakes, always changing, always competing.
Family first: the Trump Dynasty, Washington.
Trump had no people who had greater access to him than his family. They were by far the only advisors they could trust.
Ivanka Trump – The Politically Reliable Confidant.
Ivanka was not a daughter only, but a senior advisor who worked on the following policies:
Economic development
The participation of women in the workforce.
International diplomacy
She frequently placed herself in a mediating position. In instances when matters were politically inflammatory, Ivanka was often lurking in the background attempting to dampen the damage.
The Silent Power Broker- Jared Kushner.
Most insiders referred to Kushner as among the most influential people in the administration. His portfolio was massive:
Peace talks in the Middle East.
Criminal justice reform
Supply chain management of COVID-19.
Immigration strategy
He could have Trump any ear any time he wanted it and few of his advisors could be as close to him as that.
Ivanka and Jared made a political couple that others called the real West Wing.
The Trump Media Architects: How Trump Constructs Himself.
Since Trump was not as interested in policy but rather in optics, messaging controllers were massively powerful.
Kellyanne Conway The Public Defender.
Being one of the leading counselors and the first female managing a successful presidential campaign, Conway molded the Trump political brand at the beginning. She is the one who presented the slogan of alternative facts and had to defend Trump on TV.
She was indomitable to the base.
She was a controversial woman to her detractors.
To Trump, she was essential.
Hope Hicks – The Gatekeeper to Heaven.
Hicks became a communications director and one of the most loyal assistants of Trump. She had the authority to decide who went in and out, she directed the press policy and could calm Trump as few could soothe him. She resigned and created a significant gap in the media operation.
Ideology and Influence of Strategists.
Along with the policies of Trump, there were advisors who harbored quite opposite visions of American politics.
Steve Bannon The Populist Revolutionary.
Bannon aided in the development of the America First movement of Trump. He pushed policies like:
Travel bans
Trade protectionism
Anti-establishment rhetoric
He saw Trump as the means of breaking the elites in the world. Nonetheless, in-fighting most notably with Kushner, ultimately drove him out.
Bannon remained an outside driver of Trump even after his departure.
Stephen Miller -The Immigration Architect.
In case Bannon carried the ideology, Miller carried the policies. He was the force behind:
The border wall push
Strict refugee limits
Family-separation policies
There were limited advisors who influenced the core agenda of the administration as Miller did.
The Generals and the Security Advisors.
The national security policy of Trump was such that it was unlike any other president. His military commanders were very influential at least in the short run.
General Michael Flynn -The Temporary Insider.
The first Trump National Security Advisor was Flynn but the fact that he stepped down in only a few weeks demonstrated the ease with which power changed hands within the Trump world.
General James Mattis -Mad Dog with a Steady Hand
Mattis was a respected Defense Secretary in Washington and the world. He frequently sought to keep Trump in line with his more rash judgments -which ultimately caused conflicts and his resignation.
John Bolton- The Mustache Hawk.
The aggressive foreign policy views of Bolton would be in line with the Trump wishes of being tough, until they weren’t. Another explosive split was caused by internal conflicts.
Even generals of the top of Trump were not beyond reproach.
Business Partners: The Economic Decision-Makers.
Trump surrounded himself with CEOs and financiers, people whom he considered to know success.
Steven Mnuchin -The Economic Stabilizer.
Mnuchin played a central role as the Secretary of the Treasury in:
Tax reform
Trade negotiations
COVID-19 stimulus response
He was no flashy man, though he was efficient, and served the term out.
Wilbur Ross -The Trade Negotiator.
Ross coordinated with Trump on tariffs and renewing trade agreements such as NAFTA (recreated as USMCA). They had the same business background and so they were aligned.
The Constant Power Struggle
Trump also promoted rivalry among his close associates. Advisors not only contested policy control but also to influence the views of Trump.
This created:
Strength Weakness
Creative concepts Massive turnover.
Face to face presidential access Inconsistency in implementation.
Risky political reforms Domestic anarchy.
High loyalty Absence of consistency.
Trump thought that competition made people sharp. Opponents claimed that it caused dysfunction.
Both are true.
Who Held Power the Longest?
Many of the advisors rose and fell; but some always remained, influential:
Jared Kushner — tactical power.
Ivanka Trump personal counsel.
Stephen Miller-policy writer.
These personalities defined the presidency of Trump like the beginning to the end, behind closed doors and out of sight.
The Final Arbiter: Trump himself.
It is the most important truth here:
Trump was the final decision maker no matter the person who was giving him advice.
He could not be controlled even by the most influential insiders. Trump listened to their contribution – however, never relinquished supreme authority.
His personality was present in his presidency: unpredictable, combative, instinctive.
The key players in the journey were the inner circle members – Trump decided where to go.
