A Troubled Trump Campaign Wrestles with Challenges from External Alliances and the Candidate Himself
A more disciplined Trump campaign faces fresh challenges from outside allies and the candidate himself Tensions arise as a top aide to Vivek Ramaswamy joins Trump's team, causing anger among advisers who view it as self-promotion without permission
When news spread that a top aide to Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy had joined former President Donald Trump's campaign, Trump advisors were angry. They believed the aide was promoting himself without permission from the campaign's top leadership.
According to two sources familiar with the conversation, senior Trump campaign advisor Chris LaCivita called the newest team member, Brian Swenson, and "ripped into him." The message was clear: If you want to keep your job, stop speaking without authorization, the source said. Swenson did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
Trump's 2024 team is making efforts to control the messaging and media surrounding the chaos of the GOP nomination front-runner. Both external political operatives and current/former Trump officials see this team as the most disciplined to date. Led by experienced Republican strategists LaCivita and Susie Wiles, the team aims to prevent internal leaks from harming Trump's goal of returning to the White House. While they can't control Trump directly, they are focused on controlling those around him.
Advisers who have dedicated the past year to refining his campaign's messaging are now facing a significant challenge. They are contending with a multitude of Trump allies eager to be involved and use their connections to the former president to increase their influence leading up to the 2024 election.
As support for Trump's re-election bid continues to grow, there is increasing curiosity about the potential direction of a second Trump administration, including policies and key personnel. Numerous recent media reports have speculated on possible vice presidential candidates and Cabinet members, often citing anonymous sources.
A senior Trump campaign adviser revealed that 12 months ago, amidst dire circumstances, no one expressed interest in becoming a Cabinet secretary. However, the narrative surrounding the former president has since changed, leading to a surge of outside parties interested in joining a potential administration. Recently, Trump's senior advisers were caught off guard when Kash Patel, a former Trump administration official, claimed involvement in the vetting effort for a potential vice presidential pick, a claim adamantly denied by three senior advisers.
Patel, a devoted supporter of Trump who rose through the ranks during Trump's presidency, still wields influence with the former president and is widely seen as a potential candidate for a national security role in a second administration.
"I have not been involved in any vetting process, nor have I ever been. President Trump and the campaign are solely responsible," Patel said in a statement to CNN.
The campaign is deeply frustrated. According to a source close to Trump, the team is irritated by non-campaign personnel causing issues and claiming they are in consideration for jobs that have not been discussed by the Trump team.
However, some of those headaches come from Trump himself.
During a recent fundraiser, Trump began tossing names around for vice president, a source familiar with the conversations said.
"Who do we like for VP?" the former president asked donors and allies before batting around names with the crowda story that was eventually shared with reporters.
Trump 2025: Credit grabbing and calling out
After Trump's departure from office, several former administration officials in Washington have established organizations aimed at carrying on the work of the previous administration and getting ready for a potential second term. These efforts include vetting prospective Trump administration officials, developing policy proposals, and drafting executive orders intended to be signed by Trump upon his return to office.
In addition, Trump allies are making preparations for a potential Republican presidential transition by teaming up with right-wing think tanks, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, under the name "Project 2025."
The spotlight is now on certain groups as a result of a series of media stories about Trump's plans for a second term. Trump's inner circle is growing increasingly frustrated with the coverage and has made it clear that any official policy or personnel decisions will only come from the campaign directly. One particular group, the America First Policy Institute led by Brooke Rollins, the acting director of the US Domestic Policy Council under Trump, has drawn the ire of the team. Members of Trump's campaign were furious when they found out that the group had been boasting about their relationship with the former president and their efforts to develop his potential future administration, according to two sources familiar with the situation who spoke with CNN. These campaign team members argued that not only is the work not authorized by the campaign, but they also believe it is premature. The team did not appreciate AFPI quietly taking credit for something that was not in their responsibility.
A senior adviser to Trump expressed strong objections to AFPI's personnel efforts, claiming they were vetting individuals for a future Trump administration without providing any insight into the individuals being considered.
Senior officials from the Trump campaign team expressed their disapproval to Rollins for the group exaggerating their connections to the campaign, according to three sources familiar with the conversation.
Shortly after, Wiles and LaCivita issued an unusual statement stating that "reports about personnel and policies specific to a potential second Trump Administration are purely speculative and theoretical."
The statement declared that any personnel lists, policy agendas, or government plans published were just suggestions and that no outside groups have the authority to speak on behalf of Trump or his campaign. However, one source disputed that the statement was directed at AFPI, insisting that their officials were assured by multiple campaign officials that the statement was not about that group.
Marc Lotter, the chief communications officer of America First Policy Institute, dismissed any claims of tension between the former president and AFPI as "fake news." Lotter pointed out that Trump has been the main attraction at numerous events hosted by AFPI, including their Hispanic leadership conference in Miami, his first return trip to Washington, DC, the big tech lawsuit, and three fundraising events at Mar-a-Lago, as recently as last month.
A source close to the former president emphasized that Trump remains in contact with various members of AFPI's team and regularly seeks their advice. This includes Larry Kudlow, who was his director of the National Economic Council, and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who served as the national security adviser to Mike Pence and has recently been consulted by Trump on foreign policy. Another source stated that Rollins herself continues to have regular conversations with Trump.
Wiles and LaCivita's statement failed to deter outside entities and allies from leaking possible administration positions. A few weeks later, they reiterated their warning, stating that some allies were still not understanding the message. They emphasized that publicly discussing potential administration jobs for themselves or others was harmful to President Trump and themselves, calling it an unwelcome distraction.
According to a senior Trump campaign adviser, the second statement was made in response to an Axios story that named potential Trump Cabinet members. Additionally, the statement followed an interview in which Patel stated that a future Trump administration would aim to target journalists and potentially prosecute them for crimes if Trump were to win the 2024 election.
"This kind of idiotic comment has no relevance to our campaign," stated a Trump campaign official in response to the Patel interview. Campaign officials have also minimized the influence of outside voices on Trump's decision-making.
Earlier this month, former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence Ric Grenell met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. A senior adviser to Trump attempted to discredit Grenell's influence on the former president. However, a source familiar with the recent visit said that afterwards, Trump praised Grenell as someone he hoped would serve again in a future administration.
Campaign takes grievances to Trump
Trump has been upset with how some of his outside allies and affiliated groups have been using his name, according to multiple sources. He strongly dislikes when people are seen to be profiting from him or exploiting their connections to advance their own careers.
Last year, he was furious after a meal with a significant donor at his Mar-a-Lago club, when he found out that they had donated around $1 million to AFPI. The donor had informed Trump at the time that they thought they were making a donation directly to a super PAC linked to Trump's reelection campaign, as reported by two sources familiar with the meeting.
After the dinner, Trump expressed his frustration to his closest aides, feeling that the money should have been directed to the campaign. He continued to be bothered by the encounter for several days, according to sources.
To address the increasing speculation about a potential second administration, the campaign has brought some of their concerns directly to the former president in an effort to contain the rumors.
"The campaign is briefing him on the individuals involved in these activities. The question is whether they want to take the risk of playing games and damaging their reputation, or if they want to adhere to the rules, stay focused, and contribute to winning the election," said a campaign adviser to CNN.
However, the campaign is facing a challenge with Trump's natural inclination to seek advice from his personal connections and supporters.
During his presidency, Trump frequently sought the opinions of Fox News hosts such as Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson before implementing new ideas. As a candidate, he continues to consult with allies and former administration officials on a variety of topics, from campaign progress to plans for a potential second term. Additionally, the former president regularly dines with allies, some of whom have been mentioned as potential members of a future Trump Cabinet.
