Trump campaign distances itself from report of second-term Cabinet contenders

The Trump campaign on Friday sought to distance itself from a report that detailed whom the former president might consider for his Cabinet if he wins reelection, which included prominent names like Tucker Carlson, Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon.

The lengthy statement, attributed to senior advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, came days after Axios reported Trump would look to build a Cabinet based on loyalty and willingness to push his agenda regardless of legal or governmental concerns.

“Let us be very specific here: unless a message is coming directly from President Trump or an authorized member of his campaign team, no aspect of future presidential staffing or policy announcements should be deemed official,” Wiles and LaCivita said.

“Let us be even more specific, and blunt: People publicly discussing potential administration jobs for themselves or their friends are, in fact, hurting President Trump … and themselves. These are an unwelcomed distraction,” they added.

Wiles and LaCivita said Trump — who is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination with roughly one month until the primary calendar kicks off in Iowa — “is solely focused” on winning the primary and later the general election.

“He is not interested in, nor does he condone, selfish efforts by ‘desk hunters,’” they said. “There will be an appropriate time to focus on such matters after winning next November, and it will follow President Trump’s lead.”

The Axios report, which cited “sources who talk often” with Trump, detailed several possible contenders for major Cabinet roles.

It mentioned Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) as possible vice presidential picks, as well as Carlson, the former Fox News host, who has since indicated he would not be interested in the job.

Miller, who was a top adviser for Trump during his first term and crafted some of Trump’s most controversial immigration policies, was mentioned as a potential attorney general pick or a choice for another Cabinet-level role.

Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategist who is appealing a contempt of Congress conviction, would reportedly be considered as chief of staff. 

And Kash Patel, a former Trump Pentagon official, reportedly could be tapped to lead the CIA or National Security Council. Patel recently said on Bannon’s “War Room” podcast that the next Trump administration would find “conspirators not just in government, but in the media” and pursue criminal or civil charges.

Biden campaign officials and other Democrats expressed alarm at the Axios report and the types of Trump loyalists who could be installed at the highest levels of government if the former president wins back the White House in 2024.

“This Axios reporting should be a 5-alarm fire. Terrifying stuff in here and it’s barely making waves,” Caitlin Legacki, a former Biden Commerce Department official, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The pushback from Trump’s campaign echoed a similar statement issued in November seeking distance from reporting about some of Trump’s policy plans for a second term. That statement, which was also attributed to Wiles and LaCivita, followed reporting from The New York Times, The Washington Post and others detailing how Trump would seek to consolidate and wield power in a second term.