The key facts

  • The White House rejects reports of 'chaos' and rumors of replacing chief of staff Susie Wiles; Trump appointed her head of a women's health initiative.
  • A series of scandals: the firing of press secretary Karoline Zaharia after five days, the resignation of Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, the cancellation of a broadcast execution, disputes over the Kennedy Center and the State Department.
  • Republicans fear that Trump's low approval ratings and rising fuel prices amid the war with Iran will hurt the November midterm elections.

White House denies internal feuds

After a relatively disciplined start to Donald Trump's second term, the White House has faced a series of upheavals that, according to AFP, revived memories of the chaos of his first presidency. These include the abrupt resignation of the new press secretary after five days on the job and questions about the future of chief of staff Susie Wiles. American media dubbed the situation the 'Wild Wild West Wing.' The White House categorically denies internal feuds, with the fiercest denial prompted by a report that Trump was allegedly looking for a replacement for Wiles. White House official Daniel Alvarez told AFP: 'No one is distracted by FAKE NEWS. This team is strong, united, and focused on President Donald J. Trump, implementing his America First agenda, and winning the midterms.' Anonymous 'sources,' she said, are 'opportunists with their own agendas.' Trump himself last week denied the reports about Wiles, and on Monday appointed her head of the women's health initiative launched by First Lady Melania Trump, calling Wiles an 'outstanding fighter' for her battle with breast cancer.

A series of scandals in two weeks

Wiles, whom Trump calls the 'ice maiden' for organizing his 2024 election victory, had until recently maintained strict discipline in the White House. However, the past two weeks have seen a number of contradictory events. Trump hired the inexperienced Karoline Zaharia as press secretary — according to administration officials, the process largely bypassed Wiles. Five days after taking office, Zaharia was fired after an awkward 14-minute briefing in which she answered three questions and called her husband 'my president.' Trump also dismissed Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle — the former fiancée of his son Don Jr. — amid accusations that she had asked for money from one of the president's supporters. Trump then canceled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to broadcast live the execution by firing squad of a convict convicted of mass murder at a military base — a plan about which Vice President JD Vance had expressed doubts. Trump also ordered an investigation into a conflict between two close allies over accusations of misappropriating a donation to the Kennedy Center, which Trump renamed in his honor. The infighting also reached the State Department: close Trump ally Paolo Zampolli called the administration 'chaotic' after being removed from his post as special envoy following a sharp quarrel with a senior official.

Chaos in Russia policy and the elections

At the same time, according to AFP, Trump's Russia policy has descended into chaos: he announced a diesel deal with Vladimir Putin, made harsh remarks about Volodymyr Zelensky, and exchanged accusations with Elon Musk over whether Washington is restricting Kyiv's access to satellite communications. Trump claims his attention is focused on the midterm elections — he travels the country daily campaigning for Republicans. The problem is that many Republicans fear that Trump's record-low approval ratings and public discontent over rising fuel prices following his war with Iran will alienate voters. A poor election result would increase pressure on Trump. Senior White House officials insist their internal polls show a possible victory, but they are prepared for a fight in case of defeat. Democrats, if they take control of Congress, are expected to unleash a barrage of investigations against Trump, and he himself has warned he could be impeached. In that case, AFP notes, the last two years of 'Trump 2.0' could prove very turbulent.