Trump’s Revolving Door Spins Again: Senior Aides Exit White House for Lobbying Roles
Seven months into Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. President, a wave of senior White House staff resignations has raised fresh questions about ethics, influence, and Washington’s long-standing “revolving door” culture.
Despite earlier promises to “drain the swamp,” several of Trump’s top advisers are already leaving government roles to take lucrative positions in lobbying and consultancy — a move critics say undermines public trust.
Key Departures from the Trump Administration
Within just a few weeks, multiple high-profile aides have stepped away from the West Wing:
Harrison Fields – Former Principal Deputy Press Secretary, hired by Republican lobbying powerhouse CGCN Group.
Trent Morse – Deputy Assistant to the President, who left to start his own lobbying firm and partner with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.
Bo Hines – Former cryptocurrency adviser, now working with Tether, a digital assets giant.
May Davis Mailman – Longtime Trump strategist, who recently launched her own government affairs consultancy.
These exits highlight the growing trend of political insiders cashing in on their White House experience while Trump is still in office.
Why the Revolving Door Matters
The “revolving door” refers to the movement of government officials into private lobbying jobs that allow them to profit from insider knowledge, contacts, and policy influence.
Critics argue this undermines transparency and creates conflicts of interest:
Ethics Concerns: Trump once pledged sweeping reforms to prevent such moves. Yet, by revoking his own restrictions at the end of his first term, he effectively cleared the path for his allies to enter lobbying freely.
Business Advantage: Companies and interest groups are eager to hire ex-Trump aides, believing they can help them navigate unpredictable policies and secure favourable outcomes.
Early Departures: Traditionally, staffers leave around the midterm mark. Under Trump’s second administration, high-profile resignations are happening far earlier, reflecting the strong demand for insider expertise.
Support from Inside the White House
Interestingly, Trump’s team has not condemned the departures. In fact, several officials have publicly praised their colleagues’ career moves.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s Chief of Staff and a former lobbyist, described Trent Morse as “an important and integral part of the successes we’ve had.”
She also acknowledged that businesses are now desperate for “guidance and strategic counsel” on dealing with Trump’s administration.
Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, applauded Harrison Fields as “a trusted and steady presence” whose work had a “lasting impact.”
Such endorsements have surprised ethics experts, who see them as informal promotions of private lobbying careers by the government itself.
Ethics Watchdogs Sound the Alarm
Several watchdog groups argue that the early exodus of senior officials highlights a weakening of ethical guardrails in U.S. politics.
Kedric Payne from the Campaign Legal Center called the endorsements “a commercial” for former aides, suggesting this blurs the line between public service and private profit.
Ivan Adler, a Washington headhunter known as the “Lobbyist Hunter,” noted that the demand for Trump insiders is so high that they can now command “top dollar” for their services.
Despite one-year cooling-off restrictions that prevent former aides from lobbying the White House directly, they are still free to lobby Congress or advise companies immediately — offering a lucrative advantage.
Trump’s Shift on Ethics Rules
When Trump first entered office in 2017, he signed an executive order to ban officials from lobbying their former agencies for five years and from ever working for foreign governments.
However:
By his last day in office in 2021, Trump revoked those restrictions, opening the door for dozens of his allies to join the influence industry.
President Joe Biden later introduced his own ethics pledges, though narrower in scope.
On returning to office, Trump once again scrapped Biden’s rules, and so far, he has not issued a new code of conduct.
This reversal has fuelled concerns that Washington’s lobbying industry is now operating with fewer ethical barriers than at any point in recent history.
What This Means for U.S. Politics
The revolving door between the White House and K Street is nothing new, but under Trump’s second term, it appears to be spinning faster than ever.
Early exits show that staff see greater financial rewards outside government than within.
Lobbying firms and corporations are keen to secure insiders with direct knowledge of Trump’s unpredictable policies.
Ethics experts warn that this could erode public trust, as political service increasingly looks like a stepping stone to private profit.
Conclusion
Donald Trump’s second term has only just begun, yet several of his senior aides have already walked out of the White House and into lucrative lobbying jobs.
While supporters praise their achievements and new roles, watchdogs caution that such moves risk deepening Washington’s culture of influence-peddling — a culture Trump once vowed to end.
The big question remains: Will Trump introduce new ethics rules, or will the revolving door keep spinning at full speed?
🔗 Sources:
POLITICO
Axios
Campaign Legal Center
Public statements from White House officials
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