One of Trump's top drug policy officials is 24, was dismissed from a college job because he 'didn't show'


President Trump has no permanent "drug czar" — the Office of National Drug Control Policy is being led by Acting Director Richard Baum, who has worked in the ONDCP since 1997. In a Jan. 3 memo, The Washington Post reports, Baum said his office "recognizes that we have lost a few talented staff members" and "the functions of the chief of staff will be picked up by me and the deputy chief of staff." The deputy chief of staff, the Post notes, is a 24-year-old named Taylor Weyeneth whose only other post-college experience was as a paid member of Trump's presidential campaign and volunteer during his presidential transition.
Weyeneth rose quickly through the ranks, in part because of the aforementioned vacancies, and aside from the questions of whether a recent college graduate with no real experience should be helping to make drug policy during a devastating opioid epidemic, the Post now reports that Weyeneth fudged his résumé. For example, he said that he had worked as a legal assistant at the New York law firm O'Dwyer & Bernstien during college for eight months longer than he really had — a discrepancy the FBI picked up, leading to a second, then a third résumé. And that job apparently did not end well.
Weyeneth was "discharged" in August 2015, partner Brian O'Dwyer told the Post. "We were very disappointed in what happened," he said, adding that he had hired Weyeneth in part because both men belonged to the same fraternity. O'Dwyer & Bernstien had trained Weyeneth in expectation that he would work there for a long while, O'Dwyer said, but Weyeneth "just didn't show."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
After the Post's first report, the White House said Weyeneth would return to being White House liaison to the ONDCP, but as of this weekend, he has remained deputy chief of staff, the Post said. You can read more about his exaggerated résumé at The Washington Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Why is Trump suddenly interested in his enemies' mortgages?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the president continues targeting adversaries, he's turned to a surprising ally to provide ammunition for an emerging line of attack
-
'A symbol of the faceless corporate desire'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Say farewell to summer at these underrated US lakes
The Week Recommends Have one last blast
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
-
Trump arms National Guard in DC, threatens other cities
speed read His next targets are Chicago, New York and Baltimore