White House staff sideline senior aides to sway Trump on ICE nomination
Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin met Trump alone on June 27 to push Richard “Lance” Schroyer’s ICE director nomination, bypassing the president’s senior team.
Sources say Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin slipped into the White House on Saturday, June 27, while chief of staff Susie Wiles attended her daughter Caroline’s wedding, and directly persuaded Donald Trump to nominate Richard “Lance” Schroyer as ICE director. The tactic mirrors earlier after-hours visits by former DHS chief Kristi Noem and her longtime ally Corey Lewandowski on Jan. 30, when senior staff were away for the weekend, a maneuver that preceded Trump’s public praise of Noem on Truth Social.
White House officials expressed frustration, arguing that such solo encounters let the president decide without the full counsel of his senior team. A White House spokeswoman called the story “wrong,” without specifying details, and a DHS spokesperson refused to discuss the visits, only praising Schroyer’s nomination. Critics warn that these tactics could strain relationships within the administration, especially as Mullin faces pressure over detention and deportation policies.
Why it matters
It shows how senior officials may bypass normal channels to influence presidential decisions.
How this story developed
- Aug 12 Scott Jennings Emerges as Leading Candidate to Succeed Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary
- Aug 13 Leavitt’s resignation was announced as a decision to focus on her family.
- Aug 14 Additional potential candidates such as Stephen Cheung, Stephen Miller and Matthew Boyle have entered the speculation.
- Aug 14 Katie Miller was taken off the list of candidates for press secretary.
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