Overview: Reports indicate President Trump may carry out a major shakeup of senior White House advisers as his administration enters its second year. CBS reporter Jennifer Jacobs says a number of West Wing departures are possible, though the president’s closest aides appear likely to remain. Several Cabinet officials — including Kristi Noem, Kash Patel, Pete Hegseth and Pam Bondi — are reportedly under scrutiny amid ongoing controversies. Analysts warn that any vacancies could attract many MAGA-aligned contenders.
West Wing Shakeup Looms: Trump May Purge Senior Advisers as Second Year Begins
Photo Illustration by Eric Faison/The Daily Beast/Getty Images
President Donald Trump may be planning a significant personnel shakeup among senior White House advisers as his administration enters the second year of his second term, multiple sources told media outlets over the weekend.
Jacobs thinks Wiles is likely safe from any prospective cull. / Brendan Smialowki/AFP/Getty Images
Potential Departures — CBS News senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs said she expects some senior advisers in the West Wing to leave. Jacobs added that the president’s closest aides — Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt — are widely seen as likely to remain insulated from any large-scale purge, though other exits are possible.
Noem has lately fended off allegations she's failed to impress Trump as Homeland Security Secretary. / MANUEL BALCE CENETA / AFP via Getty Images
Administration Under Pressure — As of Sunday, Mr. Trump had been back in office for 341 days. The administration has been embroiled in a steady stream of controversies and crises since he returned to the Oval Office, many driven by the president himself but also involving several Cabinet-level officials.
Patel has similarly come under fire for his perceived mishandling of high-profile investigations. / Daniel Heuer/AFP via Getty Images
Over the past eleven months, critics and insiders point to a string of high-profile missteps: accidentally adding journalists to government group chats, flawed or disputed searches for suspects in recent security incidents, politicized prosecutions, and heavily redacted releases of long-awaited investigative records connected to a major sex-trafficking probe. Those redactions, in particular, prompted extra scrutiny from advocates and watchdogs about how the administration handles sensitive materials.
Hegseth currently stands accused of green-lighting war crimes in the Caribbean Sea. / Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Officials Facing Scrutiny — Several senior figures are reportedly on thin ice. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has faced persistent allegations of an affair with a senior adviser and questions about her leadership. Critics have also accused FBI Director Kash Patel of mishandling searches in some recent investigations, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s standing with Pentagon officials and West Wing power brokers is said to be tenuous. Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing scrutiny over her handling of files related to the Jeffrey Epstein controversy.
Bondi meanwhile faces impeachment and contempt of Congress calls over her handling of the Epstein files. / Andrew Harnik / Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Insider View: “He doesn’t like to be pressured to get rid of anybody,” CBS chief Washington analyst Robert Costa observed, noting that many figures within the MAGA ecosystem are jockeying for access to administration posts. “I wouldn’t rule anything out, based on my reporting.”
The Daily Beast and other outlets have reached out to the White House for comment on these developments. If departures occur, analysts say several MAGA-aligned operatives and outside allies are lining up to fill any vacancies.
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