'You Can't Trust Anybody Here': Trump Ally Reveals 'Brutal' White House Infighting Ahead of Midterms

With under two weeks until the midterms, a Trump ally has described the atmosphere inside the White House as one of leaks, suspicion, and pre-emptive blame over who will be held responsible if Republicans lose on 3 November. 'You can't trust anybody here,' the person said.

According to CNN, which spoke to officials, advisers, and allies, the concern is not only the result but Trump's response to it. Several expect heavy losses to prompt major personnel changes across the government. 'It's more brutal than any other situation in modern times in the White House,' one ally said.

The officials described a White House once known for its discipline and now marked by leaks and internal jockeying, with aides positioning to keep their jobs whatever the outcome. All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot.

Why the Infighting Has Turned 'Brutal'

Aides privately expect Republicans to lose the House and are focused on limiting losses in the Senate, according to the reporting. If both chambers change hands, the sources said the consequences are unclear. 'If we lose both the House and the Senate, there's really no telling what happens,' one Trump adviser said.

The same adviser added, 'Everyone is fair game.'

Much of the manoeuvring involves Susie Wiles, the chief of staff who helped run Trump's 2024 campaign and has said she is now cancer-free after treatment in office. Defenders of two outside advisers close to her, James Blair and Chris LaCivita, say unflattering stories about the pair have been driven by rivals seeking to improve their own standing with Trump. 'A knife to James or Chris is meant for Susie,' one source familiar with the dynamics said.

Blair has travelled with Trump aboard Air Force One twice in the past week. Wiles is nearing two years in the job, a point at which many senior aides have historically left. Trump had four chiefs of staff in his first term, counting Mick Mulvaney in an acting capacity, and none lasted two full years.

Trump has rejected the speculation, which followed a Politico report that he had sounded out allies about replacing Wiles. He said there was 'zero chance' he would replace her, and a senior administration official said 'she's not going anywhere.' White House spokesman Davis Ingle called the reporting baseless speculation and said the president is focused on keeping Republican majorities in Congress.

The Casualties Mounting Before the Midterms

Several high-profile exits have preceded the current tensions. Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former Fox News host and one-time fiancée of Trump's eldest son, was forced out as ambassador to Greece in mid-October after The Wall Street Journal reported that she had asked a Trump donor to pay a $100,000 (£75,000) credit card bill. She denies wrongdoing. Trump later said she had not really been family, adding that she had dated his son a long time ago.

Days later, Katie Zacharia was fired as White House press secretary after five days, having been named to replace Karoline Leavitt. She had come in from Trump Media and Technology Group.

Around the same time, Trump ordered the White House counsel to examine a dispute between two allies, Alina Habba and Ric Grenell, over claims that money intended for the Kennedy Center had gone missing.

Axios put the sum at nearly $6 million (£4.5 million). Grenell has denied it, saying he never asked for a cent to be sent elsewhere and calling for proof. Habba's lawyers say they will give the White House documents supporting her claim, which an official said had not yet been received.

Other officials face similar speculation. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom allies expect to be an early target for congressional Democrats, has long fielded talk about his job, and some officials have suggested Energy Secretary Chris Wright could leave for a more lucrative role in the sector. The Pentagon said Hegseth was not focused on fake news or Washington noise, and the Energy Department denied Wright was leaving, saying he would stay as long as the president wanted.

Allies also worry National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya could be dismissed after a clash with budget chief Russ Vought over grant spending, though one person said the two offices were now working together more smoothly. The NIH declined to comment.

Trump has sought to lower expectations. 'The president always loses, for whatever reason, the midterms,' he said on Tuesday, while predicting a landslide if his supporters turn out. Election day is 3 November.