For a man who loves the spotlight, Donald Trump he has been conspicuously absent since his victory in last week’s presidential election.
There have been no rallies, no press conferences, no speeches. Instead, Trump has spent most of his first week as president-elect behind closed doors at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida, where he is working the phones, reconnecting with foreign leaders and building his new administration.
Trump is hardly alone. He is surrounded by advisers, friends and paid members of his club, who take their advice as he selects people for top government jobs. Elon Muskthe world’s richest man, whose companies hold billions of dollars in federal contracts, has been a constant presence. Some see Musk as the second most influential person in Trump’s immediate orbit after his campaign chief turned chief of staff Susie Wiles.
“A very productive day for the transition team,” Musk posted Xhis social media company on Monday evening.
Trump is expected to return to the public on Wednesday, then He’s going to the White House to meet with the president Joe Biden and visits the Capitol to consult with House Speaker Mike Johnson. All in all, Trump is laying the groundwork for his second presidency much faster than his first.
That’s not to say the private process lacks the intoxicating atmosphere Trump has long fostered in his orbit. A former White House official close to Trump compared the situation at Mar-a-Lago to the drama series Game of Thrones, and another former Trump official also described the chaotic game for jobs. The two spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal dynamics.
Eight years ago, when Trump scored a stunning victory over Hillary Clinton, he was not out of sight for long. He visited President Barack Obama At the White House two days after the election, he then met with Republican leaders on Capitol Hill.
“We’re going to move very strongly on immigration,” he said at the time. “We will push forward very hard in healthcare. And we are looking at jobs. Big league jobs.”
Back in New York, then, Trump Tower became the backdrop for a new political reality show. The media camped out on the porch of Trump’s eponymous skyscraper to see who came and went. Sometimes Trump took the elevator down to give an update or introduce a guest.
In one notable moment in December, the rapper then known as Kanye West appeared with Trump, saying the two had been “friends for a long time.” Asked what they discussed, Trump replied: “Life. We discussed life.” Trump later He faced harsh criticism Ye in 2022 and for having dinner with a Holocaust denier white nationalist.
Eight years ago, Trump also held transition meetings at his Bedminster golf course in New Jersey, where the media gathered for days for a procession of candidates in front of the assembled cameras.
Some, like future Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, got job offers. Others, like Mitt Romney, don’t. After the Romney meeting, the two walked out together and shook hands next to an American flag. Trump gave it a thumbs up and said, “It went great.”
Today’s arrangement is very different. There is no public access to Mar-a-Lago, which appears to be under even tighter security than it was after the two assassination attempts on Trump.
The roundabout in front of the property’s entrance is completely barricaded, and Beach County sheriff’s office and Secret Service vehicles were seen on patrol, along with unmarked police cars, black vans and a golf cart on a recent afternoon.
Instead, Trump has announced his choices in statements and posts on the Truth Social website, and his comings and goings have been captured on social media by club members and guests, who, as always, have near-unfettered access.
In a video, he is seen dancing to the “YMCA” in the crowded courtyard of the club. In another, he and his wife, Melania, are beaming as they arrive for dinner. They were also seen sitting at a table with Musk.
Trump is known to have left Mar-a-Lago only once since the election, to visit another of his properties. On Sunday, he returned to his neighborhood golf course – same course where an eagle-eyed Secret Service agent saw the barrel of a gun pointed over the property’s fence, thwarting a potential shooting, while playing with his teenage grandson, Kai.
“Sundays with Grandpa,” he posted Instagram. Other photos from the day show Trump in a golf cart, wearing a white golf shirt, and later sitting in a leather-colored chair in the club’s restaurant by the Quay, as someone leans in for an interview.
Musk was also seen on the course, where he was introduced to members. Kai posted a photo of himself posing with Musk and his young son, claiming it was Trump “achieving uncle status”.
In fact, it has sometimes appeared to be a member of the Musk family. On election night, her son was seen taking a stroll through a ballroom at Mar-a-Lago has been included in a family photo with the children and grandchildren of the president-elect.
Since then, the new administration has tried to put its stamp on every issue it faces, according to people familiar with its efforts, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the dynamics. Attempts to influence extend to issues beyond his expertise, such as border security.
Trump has said he intends to give Musk a formal role overseeing a group that will recommend ways to make the federal government more efficient. Musk suggested he could find more than $2 trillion in savings — nearly a third of his total annual spending.
So does Trump Musk added on a post-election call with the president of Ukraine Volodymyr ZelenskyyThe US hopes to continue the flow of military aid to counter Russian invasion. Both Trump and Musk have expressed skepticism about helping Ukraine, and Trump often admires Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has vowed to end the war before Inauguration Day.
Positions in the incoming Trump administration are being offered much faster now than they were the first time. In 2016, Trump announced his senior leadership team, including his chief of staff, on the Sunday after the election. But he waited 10 days for his first Cabinet appointment
This time, Trump quickly appointed Wiles as his chief of staff. He has also chosen Stephen Miller, an anti-immigration firebrand, as a policy adviser, and Tom Homan as his “border czar”. Trump has nominated New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations and former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
The competition for jobs was intense this year. While Trump’s 2016 election was a surprise, this time allies have spent four years compiling staff lists and policy proposals. Candidates are represented by PR agencies and lobbyists. A prospective cabinet hired consultants to try to bolster its image.
While Trump said he already had people in mind for various roles, Howard Lutnick, Trump’s transition team chief of staff, previously told The Associated Press that he did not discuss any recommendations with Trump before he won, a notorious superstition for the president-elect.
“What I do is go and find the best candidates for the role. So each job will have, let’s say, eight amazing candidates — fully vetted, fully capable of being confirmed in the Senate, OK?” he said. “Then he’ll start interviewing and thinking about it. That’s up to him, right? He’s the selector.”
