Donald Trump has unveiled the first major appointment of his second presidency, even as his Florida resort descends into a battleground for his allies to fight for key positions in the incoming administration.
Susie Wiles, who co-chaired what has been widely touted as Trump’s most disciplined campaign out of his three tilts at the presidency, was announced this morning as the next White House chief of staff.
The long-time political operative from Florida, affectionately known by Trump as the “Ice Baby” will become the first woman to hold the role.
“Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and successful campaigns,” Trump said.
“Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected.”
According to a CNN source, she had put conditions on accepting the role, including control over who can reach the Oval Office, after a cast of informal advisers, family, friends and others roved into the West Wing during Trump’s first term.
“The clown car can’t come into the White House at will,” the source said.
“And he agrees with her.”
Her appointment came less than two days after Trump supporters had begun jostling for positions in the next administration.
Almost immediately after it became clear he was on his way to reelection, phones began pinging in the president-elect’s orbit and the conversation at several of the dining tables in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom turned to who would staff a second Trump term.
Those hushed discussions have now morphed into an all-out battle that is playing out directly from the patio of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Almost every single table was filled on Wednesday night (Thursday AEDT) amid maneuvering over who was sitting where and how close their table was to where Trump usually holds court, at a table behind a velvet rope, two people told CNN.
Onlookers spotted Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Tom Barrack and Trump’s transition co-chairs, Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon, milling about the club.
Trump spent part of the day going through names that had been previously lined up by Lutnick in the months before the election, though some have questioned whether Trump will rely solely on his recommendations.
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Already, those seeking top posts have been working the phones in an attempt to form alliances with others who are also hoping to secure a spot in the Trump administration.
Several even booked flights to Florida to ensure face time with Trump in the coming days, when many of the decisions are expected to be made.
As he narrows down his choices, Trump has crossed several options off the list already, according to several people familiar with the chaotic but aggressive process underway.
Elise Stefanik, the New York Republican who is House GOP conference chair, is under consideration to be the next US ambassador to the United Nations.
The race for chief of staff had been one of the biggest battles, with Brooke Rollins, who served in Trump’s first term and runs the America First Policy Institute, eyeing off the role.
She stopped vying for the role after it became clear it would amount to a serious power struggle with Wiles, but is still expected to take some role in the Trump administration.
Trump was encouraged to move on the chief of staff role faster than he did in 2016 during a chaotic transition, when he waited almost two weeks to name Reince Priebus.
Having a chief of staff in place would allow for there to be a power centre that people could go to instead of calling Trump directly.
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However, one person noted that it’s been Trump himself who has dialled people he wants to see in key positions in recent days.
Sources close to the former president said that because he was superstitious, Trump often refused to engage in lengthier conversations about who would be placed in an administration before the election.
Trump is eager to reward those who stood by him the last two years, and he’s made clear in recent private conversations that he’ll seek to accommodate those who have done so – even if their viewpoints don’t necessarily align with his.
Before Trump announced Wiles as chief of staff, Joe Biden addressed the nation for the first time since the election.
The outgoing US president guaranteed a peaceful transition between administrations, and encouraged Americans to keep fighting for the country “of our dreams”.
“You can’t love your country only when you win,” he said.
“You can’t love your neighbour only when you agree.
“Something I think you can do no matter who you voted for is see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans, bring down the temperature.”
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He was also full of praise for Kamala Harris, saying she “has a backbone like a ramrod and she has great character, true character”.
Trump said he had spoken with Biden since the election and the two will have lunch together “very shortly”.
Meanwhile, CNN called Nevada for Trump, edging him closer to a complete sweep of the seven battlegrounds and leaving Arizona as the last state to call.
The race to control the House is still in the balance, although Republicans have won more seats than the Democrats and are confident of retaining their majority.
