Donald Trump’s adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, will be tapped for transition team roles to vet potential members of a future Trump administration for ideological and personal loyalty, underscoring Trump’s documented paranoia in regards to his staff.
A number of former inner-circle Trump officials have rebuked their former boss, including John Bolton, Nikki Haley, and others. The former president has often sought to build a loyal apparatus around him, recently pushing for his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to lead the Republican National Committee.
Donald Trump Jr. seeks to “keep the John Boltons of the world outside a second Trump administration,” a source close to the campaign told Axios. Bolton, once National Security Advisor for the Trump administration, wrote a scathing book outlining his time in the White House, despite the Trump Justice Department’s attempts to block its publication.
Another key goal of Don Jr. and Eric’s roles is to make it clear that the Trump family is steering the Republican Party, Axios reports. Trump is reportedly frustrated by the influence that the Heritage Foundation and other conservative groups have purported to hold, and he seemingly intends to tighten his grip on building a new administration.
Notably, Ivanka Trump is maintaining her distance from her father’s campaign and transition, despite her major role in the past.