Trump Turnover 2.0: Who’s Out of Trump’s Second Term
President Donald Trump’s first term in the Oval Office was referred to by some as a revolving door, with dozens of notable people leaving his administration. Continuing the trend, his second term has already been marked by multiple pulled nominations, firings and resignations.
2025-05-28 12:09:07 - VI News Staff
The turnover started even before Trump officially took office, when former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name for the role of attorney general in November 2024. Several other Trump nominees for agencies ranging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Bureau of Land Management also did not make it to their confirmation votes. Trump’s second term has been a pointed loyalty test for his inner circle and beyond, with several dismissals of people who served under former President Joe Biden – and even some going back to the first Trump administration – coming after comments that didn’t align with Trump’s agenda.
Dozens of notable people also left Trump’s first administration, some early on and some high up. Fox News commentator Monica Crowley withdrew from consideration for a position as strategic communications director for the National Security Council over allegations of past plagiarism before Trump was sworn in for his first term. Thinking back, it’s hard to even remember Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. And as impactful as former Attorney General Jeff Sessions would be in the early days of Trump’s first term, he lasted about 21 months in office.
The rapid comings and goings reflect the way Trump runs his administration: fast to make decisions – whether well thought out or not – and fast to U-turn when signs of waning support emerge. And to a greater degree than his first term, Trump was guided by the advice – and criticisms – of his far-right base. He drew heavily on political commentators well known to Fox News viewers – even if they appeared objectively unqualified to run large and vital federal agencies.