For a person who loves the highlight, Donald Trump has been conspicuously out of view since his triumph in final week’s presidential election.
There have been no rallies, no press conferences, no speeches. As a substitute, Trump has spent most of his first week as president-elect behind closed doorways at Mar-a-Lago, his non-public membership in Florida, the place he’s working the telephones, reconnecting with international leaders and constructing his new administration.
Trump is hardly in seclusion. He’s surrounded by advisers, buddies and paying members of his membership, who weigh in with recommendation as he selects individuals for high authorities jobs. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, whose firms have billions of {dollars} of federal contracts, has been a relentless presence. Some see Musk because the second-most influential determine in Trump’s rapid orbit after his marketing campaign chief-turned-incoming chief of workers, Susie Wiles.
“Very productive day of work by the transition team,” Musk posted on X, his social media firm, on Monday night.
Trump is predicted to return to public view on Wednesday, when he goes to the White Home to satisfy with President Joe Biden and visits the Capitol to seek the advice of with Home Speaker Mike Johnson. General, Trump is laying the groundwork for his second presidency at a a lot sooner clip than his first.
That doesn’t imply the non-public course of lacks the cutthroat ambiance that Trump has lengthy fostered inside his orbit. A former White Home official nonetheless near Trump in contrast the state of affairs at Mar-a-Lago to the Sport of Thrones drama sequence, and one other former Trump official additionally described chaotic jockeying for jobs. Each spoke on situation of anonymity to debate inner dynamics.
Eight years in the past, when Trump pulled off a surprising victory over Hillary Clinton, he wasn’t out of sight for lengthy. He visited President Barack Obama on the White Home two days after the election, then met with Republican leaders on Capitol Hill.
“We’re going to move very strongly on immigration,” he mentioned on the time. “We will move very strongly on health care. And we’re looking at jobs. Big league jobs.”
Again in New York, again then, Trump Tower was reworked into the backdrop for a brand new political actuality present. The media camped out within the foyer of Trump’s namesake skyscraper to see who was coming and going. Generally Trump would experience the elevator down to supply an replace or exhibit a visitor.
In a single notable second that December, the rapper then often called Kanye West emerged with Trump, who mentioned the 2 had “been friends for a long time.” Requested what that they had mentioned, Trump replied: “Life. We discussed life.” Trump later got here underneath intense criticism in 2022 for eating with Ye and a Holocaust-denying white nationalist.
Eight years in the past, Trump additionally held transition conferences in New Jersey at his Bedminster golf course, the place the media assembled many days for a procession of candidates earlier than the assembled cameras.
Some, like future Protection Secretary Jim Mattis, ended up with job affords. Others, like Mitt Romney, didn’t. After the Romney assembly, the 2 walked out collectively and shook palms subsequent to an American flag. Trump flashed a fast thumbs-up and mentioned it “went great.”
The present association is much completely different. There’s no public entry to Mar-a-Lago, which seems to be underneath even tighter safety than it was within the rapid aftermath of two assassination makes an attempt concentrating on Trump.
The roundabout in entrance of the property’s entrance is absolutely barricaded, and autos from the Seashore County sheriff’s workplace and Secret Service had been noticed standing guard, together with unmarked police vehicles, black vans and a golf cart on a latest afternoon.
As a substitute, Trump has introduced his picks in statements and posts on his Reality Social website, whereas his comings and goings have been captured on social media by membership members and their friends, who, as all the time, have near-unfettered entry.
In a single video, he’s seen dancing to “YMCA” on the membership’s packed patio. In one other, he and his spouse, Melania, are cheered as they arrive for dinner. They had been additionally noticed sitting collectively at a desk with Musk.
Trump is understood to have left Mar-a-Lago solely as soon as because the election, to go to one other certainly one of his properties. On Sunday, he returned to his close by golf course — the identical course the place an eagle-eyed Secret Service agent noticed the barrel of a gun pointing by the property’s fence, thwarting a possible taking pictures — to play along with his teenage granddaughter, Kai.
“Sundays with Grandpa,” she posted on Instagram. Different photographs from that day present Trump in a golf cart, carrying a white golf shirt, and later sitting in a burgundy leather-based chair within the membership’s restaurant subsequent to Kai whereas somebody leans in for a dialog.
Musk was additionally noticed on the course, the place he was launched to members. Kai posted a photograph of her posing with Musk and his younger son, saying that Trump was “achieving uncle status.”
Certainly, Musk has generally gave the impression to be a member of the household. On Election night time, he was noticed giving his son a piggy-back experience by a Mar-a-Lago ballroom and joined a household picture of the president-elect along with his kids and grandchildren.
Since then, he’s tried to place his imprint on each topic going through the brand new administration, in response to individuals conversant in his efforts, who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate the dynamic. His makes an attempt at affect prolong to points past his experience, like border safety.
Trump has mentioned he plans to give Musk a proper function overseeing a bunch that may suggest methods to make the federal authorities extra environment friendly. Musk recommended that he may discover greater than $2 trillion in financial savings — practically a 3rd of whole annual spending.
Trump additionally added Musk to a post-election name with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who hopes the US will proceed the movement of navy help to fend off Russia’s invasion. Trump and Musk have each expressed skepticism about supporting Ukraine, and Trump usually speaks admiringly of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has vowed to finish the warfare earlier than Inauguration Day.
Positions within the coming Trump administration are being supplied way more shortly now than they had been the primary time round. In 2016, Trump introduced his senior management crew, together with chief of workers, the Sunday after the election. However he waited 10 days for his first Cupboard appointment
This time, Trump swiftly named Wiles as his chief of workers. He’s additionally chosen Stephen Miller, an anti-immigration firebrand, as a coverage adviser, and Tom Homan as his “border czar.” Trump has tapped New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as his ambassador to the United Nations and former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to run the Environmental Safety Company.
The competitors for jobs this yr has been intense. Whereas Trump’s 2016 election was a shock, this time allies have spent 4 years pulling collectively personnel lists and coverage proposals. Candidates are being represented by PR businesses and lobbyists. One potential Cupboard choose employed consultants to attempt to bolster his picture.
Whereas Trump had mentioned he already had individuals in thoughts for varied roles, Howard Lutnick, the co-chair of Trump’s transition crew accountable for personnel, beforehand informed The Related Press that he hadn’t mentioned any suggestions with Trump earlier than his win as a result of the president-elect is notoriously superstitious.
“What I do is I go and find the greatest candidates for the role. So each role will have, let’s say, eight amazing candidates — fully vetted, fully capable of Senate confirmation, OK?” he mentioned. “Then he’ll start interviewing and he’ll start considering. That’s up to him, right? He’s the chooser.”
