Core team supporting Trump's re-election campaign

A loyal and disciplined team of assistants is giving Mr. Trump many advantages on the way to the White House, improving in many ways compared to the 2020 campaign.

Former President Donald Trump is making a bid to return to the White House after a chaotic exit more than three years ago. In addition to a large and enthusiastic voter base, Mr. Trump also has a core campaign team to help him pursue his ambitions.

The group, made up of six aides loyal to Mr. Trump, operates largely behind the scenes, according to people familiar with the former president’s campaign. It represents a marked change from the former president’s previous campaign, which was plagued by infighting, leaks and staff firings.

“We don’t go to war with people we trust,” said Chris LaCivita, Mr Trump’s co-campaign manager.

LaCivita, 57, is a former US Marine who was wounded in the 1991 Gulf War. He has become a political adviser and campaign manager for Mr Trump in 2024.

"The orders were clearly communicated, there was no confusion or confusion. He was the top commander," LaCivita said.

Former President Donald Trump (center) with his core aides in Des Moines, Iowa, January 15. Photo: Reuters

When Trump took the stage to celebrate his landslide victory in Iowa on January 13, the public had a rare glimpse of LaCivita and her 66-year-old senior adviser, Susie Wiles. Wiles was wearing a red coat, standing with her hands clasped at the edge of the stage. The balding man standing behind her was LaCivita.

"They don't want to be honored. They just want a final victory and to make America great again. They don't want to speak or appear in public, they just want to do their job," Mr. Trump said, turning to the two men.

The two veteran political operatives and their small team have helped Mr. Trump maintain his lead in the race for the Republican nomination, helping him win the support of prominent local officials and lawmakers, lobbying Republican committees in each state to change the rules in his favor, relentlessly mocking his opponents, using Mr. Trump’s indictment to build his campaign strategy, and securing events with large crowds of supporters.

“Most people don’t know who Susie Wiles or Chris LaCivita are. That’s not a problem. They still do their jobs every day,” said Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s 2016 campaign manager.

The group’s success suggests Mr Trump could make things more difficult for President Joe Biden than he did four years ago if the two face off in November.

"Biden will face a very disciplined and effective Trump campaign in this election. Most of the people who relied on him have been eliminated," said Scott Reed, a veteran Republican adviser.

Asked about the issue, Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for Mr Biden's campaign, said the US president would defeat Mr Trump regardless of the campaign team. "Voters understand that it would be dangerous for Mr Trump to return to the Oval Office," Moussa said.

During the 2020 campaign, Brad Parscale was campaign manager and led a 10-person apparatus. But others also weighed in, including Trump’s sons Don Jr. and Eric, daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, adviser Kellyanne Conway and then-Vice President Mike Pence were also on Trump’s support list.

But this time, Mr. Trump’s campaign is relying heavily on Wiles, who worked on Ronald Reagan’s campaign in 1980. As a senior adviser, she helped Mr. Trump win Florida in 2016 and 2020.

Wiles oversees everything from budgets to travel. She also brings another key advantage to the campaign team: her deep knowledge of Ron DeSantis, Mr. Trump’s primary opponent. She helped DeSantis become governor of Florida in 2018 before leaving his team.

LaCivita and Wiles have different personalities. LaCivita is outgoing and enjoys chatting with reporters, while Wiles is quieter and gives short answers in the rare times he does meet with reporters. But the two men consistently give Trump consistent advice, according to people familiar with the campaign.

Strategist Jason Miller and Steven Cheung, who was the communications director of UFC, the US-based mixed martial arts (MMA) entertainment company, are the two people in charge of the communications strategy.

Miller, 49, worked for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz during his 2016 campaign. Cruz later dropped out of the race and Miller joined Trump's team. He also worked on the former president's 2020 campaign. Miller often appears on television news to defend Trump and attack his opponents.

Steven Cheung, 41, has worked on all three of Mr Trump’s campaigns. Cheung has also been one of the attackers, not shying away from harsh comments in defence of his boss.

Brian Jack, the former White House director of political affairs under Mr Trump, is also part of the core team. Jack oversaw outreach to politicians and persuaded them to support the former president.

Dan Scavino, 48, who is in charge of social media, is one of Mr. Trump's longest-serving assistants. He started working for Mr. Trump in the 1990s as a golf course attendant and has accompanied the American billionaire on three election campaigns and four years in the White House.

Trump’s sons, Don Jr. and Eric, are still actively helping their father. They spend a lot of time in Iowa and New Hampshire and make frequent television appearances. However, they are not heavily involved in the campaign.

About 30 or so campaign staffers work out of a building in Palm Beach, Florida, near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Wiles, LaCivita, and others on the core team start each day with a 9 a.m. meeting to plan actions, solve problems, and ensure everyone is on the same page, avoiding infighting and leaks.

"We will only end the meeting when everyone has expressed their opinions," the source said.

Wiles was the one who kept the former president informed of any campaign challenges and often met with him several times a week.

From left to right: Chris LaCivita, Susie Wiles, Jason Miller and other officials in the Donald Trump campaign in Iowa on January 15. Photo: Reuters

In addition to the core team, the Trump campaign has a larger team. Ross Worthington and Vince Haley, two former Trump White House staffers who remain chief speechwriters, are part of that team.

Mr Trump’s recent speeches have come under scrutiny after he told supporters that immigrants “poison” the American bloodline and called his political opponents “vermin”. Many criticised Mr Trump’s comments as xenophobic and echoing fascist rhetoric.

Steven Cheung has dismissed these criticisms as "absurd", arguing that similar language is common in books and television.

Observers say it is difficult to know exactly who is crafting Mr Trump’s policy vision. Mr Cheung said the former president “spoke to a number of people who are qualified in many areas”, but declined to elaborate.

They include former senior White House adviser Stephen Miller, who advocated a hard line on immigration, and Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who served as Trump’s chief of staff on the National Security Council and is advising him on national security, two sources said.

LaCivita said he did not resist the former president's habit of seeking advice from a wide range of people. "But at the heart of what we have is a small, tight-knit team," he said on the sidelines of a Trump rally in Iowa.

Thanh Tam (According to Reuters )

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/nhom-nong-cot-ho-tro-chien-dich-tai-tranh-cu-cua-trump-4707862.html