File photo: US President Donald Trump (Image source: AP)
US President Donald Trump is considering a broader Cabinet reshuffle after the ouster of Attorney General Pam Bondi this week, amid growing concern within the White House about the political damage caused by the war with Iran.According to the Reuters news agency, internal discussions in the White House have shifted toward whether more senior officials should be replaced as Trump grows frustrated with rising gas prices, falling approval ratings and Republican anxiety grows ahead of the November midterm elections.The potential change follows Bondi’s ouster this week and the departure of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier last month.
While no final decisions have been made, several senior officials are said to be under scrutiny.According to Reuters, the five-week war has created a politically difficult period for the administration, with gas prices rising and Trump’s standing declining. Some allies felt Trump’s televised address to the nation on Wednesday, which a senior White House official described as an attempt to show control and confidence, “failed,” the report said, increasing pressure for changes in messaging or personnel.
One White House official told Reuters: “Change to show action isn’t a bad thing, right?”
Gabbard and Lutnick are among the names under surveillance
Those potentially at risk include Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.According to Reuters, Trump recently expressed his displeasure with Gabbard, and one source with direct knowledge said he asked allies for their opinions on potential replacements for his intelligence chief. Gabbard, who has long been a critic of US military interventions abroad, reportedly angered the White House last June when she released a video attacking “political elite warmongers” ahead of Trump’s first military action against Iran.Lutnick is also facing renewed pressure. Some prominent Trump allies are secretly pushing for his removal. New files released earlier this year showed Lutnick had lunch with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean in 2012, the report said. Lutnick denied any serious relationship, saying he “barely had anything to do” with Epstein and that the lunch only happened because he was on a boat near the island.According to news outlet Politico, Trump has become frustrated with Lutnick and is considering making changes regarding him. “He’s very angry and he’s going to move people,” one administration official said.
The Minister of Labor is also under fire
Labor Minister Lori Chavez de Remer is also being discussed as part of possible cabinet changes.According to Politico, Trump’s review focuses on officials who he believes “have performed poorly or who have generated too much negative attention.” The report said that no final decisions had been made regarding Chavez de Remer or Lutnick, and noted that Trump had previously considered firing his aides before backing down.Removing Lutnick could allow Trump to point to economic accountability, with one administration official noting that would help the president “be able to say: I’m making changes in the economy.”Chavez de Remer is also under additional pressure due to the investigation by the Inspector General of the Ministry of Labor.
The investigation includes allegations that she drank alcohol while at work, had an affair with a security officer, and that employees may have used official events to help facilitate personal travel. Chavez de Remer has denied any wrongdoing and the White House has previously defended her.
The White House publicly stands with key officials
Despite this speculation, the White House has publicly defended several officials named in media reports.White House spokesman Davis Engel said Trump retains “full confidence” in Gabbard and Lutnick.
In an email statement reported by Reuters, Engel said: “The President has assembled the most talented and influential Cabinet ever, and collectively they have achieved historic victories on behalf of the American people, from Director Gabbard’s role in ending the Maduro drug-related terror regime, to Secretary Lutnick’s role in securing major trade and investment deals.”
“A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence also pointed to a White House postWhite House spokesman Taylor Rogers said Chavez de Remer and Lutnick “do an amazing job advocating for American workers, and they continue to have the full support of President Trump.”A separate White House official who spoke to Politico on Lutnick’s behalf said: “Everyone is happy with the work Howard has done — on trade deals, on drugs, on Japan, on tariffs, all of that… He’s also taken a tough stance on Canada from day one, which the U.S. president appreciates.”
Rhetoric about Iran is seen as a mistake within the West Wing
Trump’s speech on Wednesday night was intended to reassure voters after his aides had urged him for weeks to address the nation directly about the American role in Iran.But the speech failed to achieve the policy reset that some in the White House had hoped for. Trump has offered no clear path out of the war that began on February 28, instead leaving the impression that the conflict could continue indefinitely. Instead of addressing economic concerns directly, he said the pain would be temporary and blamed Tehran.“The speech did not accomplish what it was supposed to accomplish,” a White House official told Reuters, adding that although Trump’s core supporters still supported him in the war, they were also feeling economic pressure.“Voters are tolerant of ideological messages, but they feel the fuel prices right away,” the same official said.
Polls and midterm elections add urgency
It seems that the political background is driving the internal debate.Only 36% of Americans approved of Trump’s overall job performance in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, the lowest rating during his current term. Also, 60% of respondents said that they did not agree with the American-Israeli decision to start a war with Iran.Any broad Cabinet reappointment would aim to help Republicans protect their grip on Washington next November. Some in Trump’s orbit believe now is the best time to make changes, especially with concern that Senate confirmations could become more difficult next year if Democrats make gains in the midterm elections.One person close to the White House told Politico that Trump is also considering the difficulty of confirming future executive appointments if Democrats improve their position after the election.A senior White House source said Trump wants to make any major changes now, well before the midterm elections.
Trump may choose limited changes, rather than radical reform
Trump may ultimately decide not to make sweeping change.Several people close to the president said he remains wary of recreating the sense of chaos that characterized his first term, when constant staffing changes often dominated news headlines. One White House official described the potential approach as “targeted change” rather than “a big, dramatic reset.”However, some aides believe that doing nothing could now be as risky as making a high-profile move.One White House official summed up the public mood bluntly, telling Reuters: “Let’s just say, based on what I’ve heard, that Bondi is not the only one… goodness”.Meanwhile, discussions have already touched on who could fill the void left by Bondi.Politico, citing a person close to the White House familiar with the talks, reported that Trump met with EPA head Lee Zeldin on Tuesday to discuss last year’s California wildfires and the possibility of Zeldin taking Bondi’s former position.However, Trump has so far named Todd Blanche as acting attorney general, with one administration official calling Blanche a “master horse.”
