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President-elect Donald Trump’s chief of staff has ordered all his Cabinet nominees to zip their mouths shut on social media.
Chief of Staff Susie Wiles delivered the order in a memo written Sunday.
“While this instruction has been delivered previously, I am reiterating that no member of the incoming administration or Transition speaks for the United States or the President-elect himself,” she wrote in the memo, as reported by the New York Post.
“Accordingly, all intended nominees should refrain from any public social media posts without prior approval of the incoming White House counsel,” she added.
NEW: All of Trump’s nominees must stop posting on social media ahead of the Senate confirmation hearings, incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles ordered – NYP pic.twitter.com/Rrmx42dy0x
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 30, 2024
According to a Trump transition source who spoke with the Post, the memo was NOT issued in response to the heated social media war that erupted over the weekend between the MAGA base and Department of Government Efficiency co-chairs Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk.
“It was [simply] a reminder of the guidance to intended nominees as confirmation hearings get underway next week,” the source said.
As previously reported, all hell broke loose over the weekend when, during a discussion on the merits of H1-B visas, Ramaswamy stepped in it by implying that Americans are lazy and unmotivated.
This prompted a wave of pushback, most of it legit, but some of it racially derogatory. The latter pushback spurred Musk to label H1-B critics “contemptible racists” and call for their ouster from the GOP.
Look:
Yes.
And those contemptible fools must be removed from the Republican Party, root and stem.
— Kekius Maximus (@elonmusk) December 27, 2024
The “contemptible fools” I’m referring to are those in the Republican Party who are hateful, unrepentant racists.
They will absolutely be the downfall of the Republican Party if they are not removed.
— Kekius Maximus (@elonmusk) December 28, 2024
That said, DOGE is not an official entity and therefore doesn’t require Senate confirmation, which is why Ramaswamy and Musk are free to continue tweeting their hearts out.
As for the official Cabinet nominees, they reportedly have begun quieting down their online activities.
“Trump’s nominees have refrained from posting on social media from their public accounts, per a review from The Post, indicating the top-town directive has been heeded,” the Post notes.
“Those who could face tough questioning — such as former Democrats like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of National Intelligence, respectively — have also quieted down since Christmas,” according to the Post.
Save for some holiday greetings, all the Cabinets are for the time being maintaining radio silence.
Early morning hike to this stunning sunrise https://t.co/13rSFTQitM pic.twitter.com/jgvXw2npby
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) December 31, 2024
Instead of posting online, Trump’s Cabinet nominees have reportedly been in meetings with senators to whip up support.
The good news is that the vast majority of his nominees are expected to be confirmed by the Senate.
“[D]espite some less than optimal headlines, the Republican-controlled Senate will likely confirm nearly all of Trump’s Cabinet nominees and picks for other key positions,” ABC News notes. “Republicans hold a 53-to-47 majority in the next Senate, so if the GOP remains relatively unified, most of Trump’s nominees will get across the finish line.”
The lone exception is Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from his position several weeks earlier because of the massive controversy surrounding his nomination.
The second-most controversial nominee has been Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth. But after securing the vote of Sen. Joni Ernst, who reportedly had been jostling for the position herself, he’s now guaranteed to be confirmed.
Ernst and Sen. Lindsey Graham were previously accused by conservative radio show host Dan Bongino of maneuvering against Hegseth.
“Very credible sources — unimpeachable sources — have told me that these are the two ringleaders behind sabotaging Pete Hegseth,” he said earlier this month. “And it’s disgusting because they both share one thing in common: They’ve run on the Republican Party brand.”
Dan Bongino nails it here on Lindsay Graham and Joni Ernst- they can’t be trusted. He also shares that “they’re behind the sabotage of Pete Hegseth…” This is disgusting, but no surprise! LISTEN to @dbongino…
Cr: @MAGAResource
pic.twitter.com/vnZAKSPTxg— NanLee Marie Carissimi (@NanLee1124) December 5, 2024
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