Could a 2nd Trump term kick off with 'score-settling' inside Cabinet?
President Trump's first term in office saw a lot of Cabinet turnover, and Politico reports that would likely continue if he wins re-election. Health and national security agencies could be part of a potential overhaul, with Politico circling Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper as a few of the officials who could be on the way out. All have had their differences with Trump during their tenures.
"I can only imagine the score-settling Trump would undertake if he won," one Republican close to the White House told Politico.
In a scenario in which Trump secures a second term, critics are anticipating a "vindicated and liberated" president who "will stack his Cabinet even more with loyalists," but other sources said Trump is purely focused on winning the election. "Trump is focused on the next week of winning, and it would be foolish for anyone to say to him right now, 'In the second term, I want to do this, I want to do that,'" another Republican close to the White House said. If anyone did suggest that, the source added, "you would get your head bashed in."
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.
Besides, a former senior administration official said Trump, as he's been known to do, has plenty of time to change his mind before January. Read more at Politico.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
-
Proposed Trump-Putin talks in Budapest on holdSpeed Read Trump apparently has no concrete plans to meet with Putin for Ukraine peace talks
-
Bolivia elects centrist over far-right presidential rivalSpeed Read Relative political unknown Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, was elected president
-
Madagascar president in hiding, refuses to resignSpeed Read Andry Rajoelina fled the country amid Gen Z protests and unrest
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace planSpeed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a weekSpeed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
