These People Are Poised To Shape Donald Trump’s Second Presidential Administration

Forbes

The 78-year-old Trump has long treasured his close alliances with the rich and famous, but this time around, he will bring with him a mostly new generation of loyalists. This 2.0 contingent has curried favor with Trump through a combination of loyalty, campaign donations, endorsements and, of course, flattery.  Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnhyatt/2024/11/08/handicapping-trumps-brain-trust-the-new-trumpiverse/  Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1  Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:  https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript  Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes:  http://forbes.com  Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.

Transcript

00:00Today on Forbes,

00:02Handicapping Trump's brain trust, the new Trump-averse.

00:07During his victory speech last week,

00:09Donald Trump was acknowledging those who helped fuel his astonishing political comeback

00:13and singled out Elon Musk.

00:16Trump gushed, quote,

00:17We have a new star. A star is born.

00:20Elon.

00:22Trump then launched into a four-minute riff about the world's richest person,

00:26whom he called, quote,

00:27a super genius.

00:29The president-elect has promised vast powers to Musk to shape U.S. policy and federal spending.

00:35After endorsing Trump in July,

00:37Musk quickly embraced the idea of helming a, quote,

00:40department of government efficiency,

00:42aiming to cut $2 trillion or more from the federal budget,

00:45while Trump has touted Musk as the so-called, quote,

00:48secretary of cost-cutting.

00:51They have both indicated it's unlikely Musk will take on an official role,

00:54as Trump says Musk, quote,

00:56doesn't want to be in the cabinet,

00:58and Musk said of his services, quote,

01:00No pay, no title, no recognition is needed.

01:04Elon Musk is the most famous and wealthiest of a cabal of new allies

01:08as Trump prepares to re-enter the White House.

01:11The 78-year-old Trump has long treasured his close alliances with the rich and famous,

01:15but this time around,

01:17he will bring with him a mostly new generation of loyalists

01:20that includes podcaster Joe Rogan

01:22and UFC president and CEO Dana White, among others.

01:26This 2.0 contingent has curried favor with Trump

01:29through a combination of loyalty, campaign donations,

01:32endorsements, and, of course, flattery.

01:36Some are expected to serve as cabinet members.

01:38Others will likely have unofficial roles as advisers

01:41with whom Trump speaks over the phone,

01:43on the golf course, on podcasts, and via social media.

01:47Besides Musk, there are hedge fund moguls John Paulson and Scott Besant,

01:52two contenders for treasury secretary or other key economic roles,

01:56who have vowed to help Musk slash spending.

01:59During an interview with Forbes early on Election Day,

02:01Besant, who worked for Trump nemesis George Soros for years, said, quote,

02:11Political newcomers like Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,

02:15two other possibilities for cabinet positions or high-powered advisory roles,

02:19seek to remake entire federal agencies.

02:22Kennedy plans to push for the removal of fluoride in drinking water

02:25and to, quote,

02:31On the campaign trail,

02:32Ramaswamy mused about shutting down the entire Department of Education.

02:37Among tech power players whose stars have risen in Trump's orbit,

02:40Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreessen,

02:43a lifelong Democrat who sided with Trump because of his tech policies

02:47and who scored an invitation to Mar-a-Lago on election night,

02:50and TikTok shareholder Jeff Yass,

02:53who seemingly convinced Trump earlier in the year

02:55to back off his threats of banning the social media platform,

02:58which Trump later joined.

03:01It's highly likely that Trump will continue to consult

03:03some of the same folks he always has,

03:05starting with his family members.

03:07While daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner

03:10have said they will not return to their previous roles as advisers to the president,

03:15Kushner told Forbes last week that he could still informally advise Trump.

03:19Meanwhile, his son Eric's wife Lara,

03:22co-chair of the Republican National Committee,

03:24took a lead role in the campaign

03:26and stood right next to him during his victory speech.

03:29Also not to be forgotten are the group of billionaires

03:32who have stood by him in the past,

03:34including Wall Street legend and fellow Florida resident Carl Icahn,

03:38Trump's Las Vegas business partner Phil Ruffin,

03:40and former Marvel chief Ike Perlmutter.

03:44There will be lots of jostling and schmoozing in the coming weeks.

03:47Who will win a coveted cabinet appointment or some other role

03:50will be a closely watched match of gamesmanship.

03:53If last time was any guide,

03:55even those in the inner circle should buckle up.

03:57Just ask Goldman Sachs veteran Anthony Scaramucci,

04:00who joined the White House as director of communications on July 21, 2017.

04:05He lasted only 10 days.

04:08For full coverage, be sure to watch our Forbes Talks video this week

04:12and check out John Hyatt's piece on Forbes.com.

04:16This is Kieran Meadows from Forbes.

04:18Thanks for tuning in.

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