Decoding the new Trump ecosystem, the men and women who will run America

Washington: Donald Trump’s second term will look radically different from his first term. Trump now represents a far more ideologically cohesive movement. He has a stronger network of organisations that have recruited personnel and prepared policy over the past four years for this very moment. And most importantly, the men and women around him are different than the ones who inhabited his political universe in the first term.

Trump touts his unpredictability as a strength. Even those closest to him hesitate to claim proximity for fear of being excluded from his durbar. And in his first term Trump showed a tendency to dismiss people at will. All of this means that offering a sense of Trump’s orbit and who he will listen to is an exercise that has to be laced with a degree of circumspection. But at the moment, here are some of the people who are the most visible and important in his ecosystem. This is an indicative and not a comprehensive list:

JD Vance

The 40-year old Vice President-elect, JD Vance will be the most important ideologue and spokesperson of the America First movement in the Trump administration. A Yale law school graduate, a tech venture capitalist, an author who documented the travails of Midwest to explain Trump’s surge even when he was critical of Trump, and a Senator, Vance has mentored a range of voices and people in the Far-Right intellectual ecosystem. Passionately committed to boosting domestic manufacturing, a fervent critic of big tech monopolies and therefore an unlikely fan of some Democratic regulators, a Christian conservative, a hawk against immigration, and a spokesperson for a more internally focused US rather than an America distracted externally, Vance will bring his personality and views to the room and be bridge for many supporters with the president. How much leeway Trump gives him is to be seen but Vance is now positioned to be the next leader of the Make America Great Again Movement and in that capacity the nominee of the Republican Party for the presidency in 2028.

Donald Trump Jr

If Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were the key family insiders during Trump’s first term, Donald Trump Jr will arguably be the most important counselor and confidante to the President-elect in this term. Trump Jr has been involved intricately in the campaign. He is a major voice in the Far-Right media ecosystem. He played a key role in making Vance his father’s running mate. He has said that he will impose a strong ideology and loyalty test and filter to those who join the administration, based on the assumption that Trump’s first term was troubled because either people weren’t loyal or competent. A businessman with interests globally, including in India, whether Trump Jr takes a formal role is to be seen, but he will be the primary gatekeeper to America’s next president.

Lara and Eric Trump

Trump’s other son, Eric, and daughter in law, Lara, will be the other key family advisors in the new administration. Trump made Lara the Republican National Committee co-chair, effectively converting the Grand Old Party into a family fiefdom. But Lara Trump, a North Carolina native, has used that perch to effectively communicate Trump’s message, get immersed in organisational complexities, and expand Trump’s appeal among younger women. It will be interesting to see if Trump uses Lara within the party and for elections -- there will be governor’s elections in Virginia and New Jersey next year, and midterms in 2026 — or bring her into the administration in some capacity.

Elon Musk

The richest man in the world gave over $120 million to see Donald Trump elected as president. He ran the ground operations to get the vote out. He used his platform, X, to amplify Trump’s message. And he ran risking the wrath of the government if Democrats got re-elected in the process of making this open political bid. In return, Musk will expect and will be granted unparalleled access and influence over policy. Trump has already announced that Musk will head a commission on government efficiency with the mandate of ruthlessly downsizing the US government; expect the axe to fall on a range of regulatory institutions. Musk will also have a say on tech, space, and climate policies — in this last sphere, he may actually play a somewhat moderating influence given Trump’s disdain for the climate crisis.

Robert F Kennedy Jr

The maverick son of the late Bobby Kennedy and nephew of John F Kennedy, RFK jr aborted his presidential bid and backed Trump. A former environmental lawyer who alleged that Democrats have become a party of censorship and wars, RFK Jr is a vocal opponent of vaccines and often peddles conspiracy theories around science and health. He is on the verge of getting control of America’s health care policy apparatus. During Covid-19, Trump partly listened to scientific advisors and partly engaged in conspiracy theories of his own to suggest treatments. This time around, that limited quotient of science in health policymaking is likely to diminish.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Among the most articulate spokespersons of the America First movement, Ramaswamy — who is also a Yale law classmate of JD Vance — identifies himself as a national libertarian who is animated by his opposition to the American regulatory state. This, Ramaswamy claims, has empowered bureaucrats as opposed to elected officials. Ramaswamy is also an anti illegal immigration hawk who sees stopping the illegal flow of people and mass deportation as essential steps. He is likely to get a senior advisory position, or even a cabinet post, in the next Trump administration.

Kash Patel

Among Trump’s most loyal and trusted advisors, Kash Patel defended the former president against the allegations of Russian interference in the US elections, served in the National Security Council and then Pentagon during Trump’s first term, threw himself in the line of fire for Trump to defend his boss against charges of taking away classified files, and ran a parallel political and narrative machine to push out Trump’s point of view. Patel will be among Trump’s top political confidantes, probably serving in a key national security role in either White House or cabinet or as leading one of America’s top intelligence agencies.

Susan Wiles

The woman who delivered Trump his biggest electoral win and allowed him to make history is a quiet Florida Republican operative. Susan Wiles has the reputation of being more a political campaigner than a governance person but she also now has acquired a reputation for being able to handle Trump, including saying no to him, better than others. The win boosts her credibility immeasurably in Trump’s ecosystem, and Wiles will be in the running for a top position in the White House, even perhaps the chief of staff.

Robert O’ Brien, Bill Haggerty, Richard Grenell, Elbridge Colby, Tulsi Gabbard

In the first term, O’Brien served as Trump’s NSA; Haggerty was Trump’s ambassador to Japan (and now serves as a Senator); Grenell was ambassador to Germany and then headed the office of national intelligence; and Colby was a senior Pentagon official who played a key role in identifying China as a key adversary. Tulsi Gabbard was a former Democratic congresswoman who shifted to Trump this year and campaigned widely for him. While only Trump knows how he will allocate portfolios, expect to see these five people playing a key role in national security departments — across NSC, intelligence, State, and Defense.

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