Musk, Wiles, Rutnik, Miller, Witkoff Mentioned
NYT "Influence on New Cabinet Formation and Agenda Setting"
As President-elect Donald Trump announces his cabinet appointments, five close aides exerting influence in this process are drawing attention.
On the 11th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported, "President-elect Trump is calling friends and colleagues to seek their opinions on who should participate in the administration," adding, "The staff and advisory group, including those who worked in Trump’s first administration and new faces, are exerting significant influence on cabinet formation and setting the administration’s agenda."
The so-called ‘Trump Insiders’ identified by NYT include △Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and the next White House Chief of Staff appointee △Susie Wiles, co-chair of the presidential campaign △Howard Lutnick, co-chair of the transition team △Stephen Miller, former senior White House advisor and speechwriter △Steve Witkoff, co-chair of the inauguration committee.
CEO Musk emerged as a key insider after becoming a major donor who poured over $100 million (about 140 billion KRW) into Trump’s campaign. He was present at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s residence in Florida, when Trump held his first official transition meeting. Musk was also present when Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump expressed hope that Musk would take a role on the ‘Government Efficiency Commission,’ which aims to reduce government spending.
Becoming a key aide to Trump is also beneficial for Musk’s business. Musk’s companies, including SpaceX, are major contractors for the U.S. government. According to NYT, Musk has been trying to place some of his company employees into government positions.
Wiles is one of the key figures who led the successful 2016 and 2024 campaigns. She is the first female White House Chief of Staff in U.S. history and the first appointee announced by Trump. She is expected to take a leading role in pushing forward Trump’s policy agenda.
Howard Lutnick, CEO of investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, is co-chair of the transition team and is mentioned as a potential next Treasury Secretary. He is currently leading the appointment process for about 4,000 new administration officials. The day after the election, he stayed at Mar-a-Lago to continue the appointment work, gathering opinions from major Republican donors and figures such as Stephen Schwarzman, founder of Blackstone, the world’s largest private equity firm, and Charles Schwab, chairman of the largest U.S. brokerage firm Charles Schwab.
Former senior advisor Miller was the architect of strong immigration policies in Trump’s first administration and is known for designing the ‘largest deportation program in U.S. history.’ According to NYT, Miller is currently evaluating conservative lawyer candidates who can implement Trump’s policies and promises.
Witkoff is a real estate developer and a golf buddy of ‘golf enthusiast’ Trump. He was playing golf with Trump at a West Palm Beach golf course in Florida during the second assassination attempt on Trump in September. His son even got married at Mar-a-Lago, showing their close friendship. Witkoff also connected Trump, who styled himself as the ‘cryptocurrency president,’ with cryptocurrency entrepreneurs. On the 9th, he was appointed co-chair of the inauguration committee alongside former Senator Kelly Loeffler, taking charge of preparing for Trump’s return to the White House.
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