Donald Trump is considering a wider cabinet shakeup after ousting Pam Bondi earlier this week. This comes amid growing frustration in the White House over the political fallout of the war with Iran.
Sources close to Reuters say the reshuffle could help restore the administration during a difficult period. The five-week standoff has pushed up gas prices and also hurt Trump’s approval ratings. This is troubling for the Republican Party because it could have a direct impact on the November midterm elections.
Some allies said his televised speech on Wednesday — one focused on the war’s control and confidence project — had failed.
A senior White House official said the speech was intended to promote control and confidence in the war. “A shake to show the action isn’t a bad thing, is it?” another White House official said. And the reactions call for changes in messaging or personnel.
Trump has already fired Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from his cabinet in recent weeks.
Who is likely to be eliminated?
Sources close to Reuters said Trump’s Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are among those potentially on the chopping block.
Trump has expressed displeasure with Gabbard in recent months, one senior White House official said. Another source claimed he even asked allies for their views on a potential replacement for his intelligence chief.
Gabbard, a longtime critic of US military interventions abroad, angered the White House last June when she released a video criticizing “political elite warmongers” in preparation for Trump’s first military action against Iran.
Meanwhile, some prominent Trump allies are privately pushing for the removal of Lutnick, who has faced renewed scrutiny over his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
But White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump maintains “complete confidence” in Gabbard and Lutnick.
“The president assembled the most talented and impressive cabinet ever, and together they achieved historic victories on behalf of the American people, from Director Gabbard’s role in ending the Maduro narcotics regime to Secretary Lutnick’s role in securing major trade and investment deals,” Ingle wrote in an email when asked for comment.
But Trump could ultimately decide not to make any changes in the leadership positions of his administration. Several others close to Trump said the president is reluctant to reshuffle his cabinet too often after repeated personnel changes during his first term dominated headlines and created the appearance of chaos in the White House, the report said.
