A new book on the 2024 election reveals that Donald Trump’s presidential transition was defined by widespread infighting and sabotage among potential Cabinet officials. In one instance, Howard Lutnick reportedly tried to sink Sean Duffy’s nomination for transportation secretary by unearthing a decade-old comment in which Duffy had criticized Trump.
The allegation is detailed in “Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign that Changed America,” an upcoming book by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl. An excerpt was first published in Vanity Fair.
Karl portrays a frenzied scene at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, where billionaires, politicians, and television personalities vied for appointments. Trump reportedly entered his second administration with greater confidence than his first, telling Karl, “The difference between now and before is I know everybody now… Had to rely on recommendations. Now I know people.”
Despite this, Trump refused to plan his administration until after his victory was secured, telling aides he didn’t “like to talk about transition until I win,” for fear of jinxing the outcome.
The selection process, spearheaded by Lutnick, was tailored to Trump’s preferences. According to the book, Lutnick used a three-screen presentation for each candidate: one screen displayed up to five bullet points on qualifications, a second showed video clips of recent TV appearances, and a third featured a large headshot so Trump could assess if the person looked the part and was from “central casting.”
The infighting began just two days after the election. When word spread that Susie Wiles was meeting with Trump to be offered the role of White House chief of staff, rivals Linda McMahon and Brooke Rollins rushed to Mar-a-Lago to derail the appointment. The book claims Wiles’s aides successfully delayed them, even orchestrating a phone call with Vice President-elect JD Vance to prevent them from reaching Trump in time. McMahon and Rollins arrived too late and were later appointed to lead the departments of Education and Agriculture, respectively.
Lutnick, now the commerce secretary, allegedly targeted Duffy while lobbying for a former Uber executive to lead the Department of Transportation. When he learned Trump was considering Duffy—a former Fox Business host—Lutnick found a 2015 interview critical of Trump to undermine his candidacy.
A Department of Commerce spokesperson told ABC News the claim is “completely false.”
According to Karl, the decade-old comment nearly cost Duffy the job. Trump reconsidered the pick and called Duffy and his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, who convinced him that Sean’s views had long since changed. On November 18, Trump finalized the decision, announcing that Duffy “knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely, and with peace of mind.”
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