Anthony Scaramucci served as White House communications director for 11 days, from July 21 to July 31, 2017. The record of the shortest tenure in the Trump world is likely to be broken by Katie Zacharia, the new press secretary who was panned on the very first day on the job. Then she appeared on Fox News’ Sean Hannity show where she was grilled in such a way that political commentators believed that Hannity must have had the go-ahead from the top because Katie Zacharia was ‘set to fail’.
Katie Zacharia
Insiders believe Katie Zacharia was set to fail.
Trump announced on October 9 that Zacharia would replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary. She had worked as a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security earlier in 2026 and was a senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group. Trump described her as a loyal supporter and a member of the MAGA movement.But the appointment quickly became overshadowed by questions about her professional credentials.Zacharia had described herself as a lawyer and had previously worked at a law firm in Beijing. Her professional profile also listed a general counsel role at Fix California, an advocacy group founded by Trump ally Ric Grenell. Reports suggested that there was no record showing she was registered as an attorney or a member of the bar in any US state or the District of Columbia.Trump was asked about Zacharia’s law practice to which the president did not have any answer, and he turned to Zacharia togive the answer. Zacharia said she practised when she was in China. Turns out, she never passed a bar exam and was never a licensed attorney.By October 16, Trump was publicly suggesting that Zacharia reconsider the position. A White House official said she was being let go from the role. Her tenure had lasted only days.
Susie Wiles : The powerful chief of staff facing questions about her own future
Will Susie Wiles be on her way out soon?
Susie Wiles has occupied one of the most influential positions in Trump’s administration, serving as the gatekeeper to the president and a central figure in the operation of the West Wing. But reports of growing internal tensions have put her own position under the spotlight.Wiles, who helped lead Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign, entered the second administration with a reputation for organisation and discipline. She became the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, a job that involves managing the president’s schedule, coordinating senior aides and trying to ensure that the administration’s priorities are carried out.Politico reported that Trump was considering replacing Wiles and was reaching out to people asking for names. But officially he dismissed the report calling it fake news and said Susie Wiles will be serving her role for a long time.One source of apparent friction between Trump and Susie Wiles was Trump’s decision to approach Zacharia about becoming press secretary without consulting Wiles, according to people familiar with the appointment. The move was viewed internally as undermining the chief of staff and creating uncertainty about who was directing personnel decisions in the West Wing.Wiles has also faced pressure over the outside consulting work of longtime Trump allies Chris LaCivita and Tony Fabrizio Blair, who travelled to Republika Srpska in Bosnia for political consulting work. Trump publicly distanced himself from the two men and threatened to fire them if their work presented a conflict of interest.Wiles has also had a personal health challenge this year. In September, she announced that tests showed no remaining evidence of her breast cancer after treatment, saying she was grateful for the support she had received while continuing to work.
Alina Habba : A multimillion-dollar dispute that has turned into a MAGA feud
Alina Habba asks where his billionaire husband’s donation vanished.
Alina Habba, the former personal attorney to Trump, has found herself at the centre of an extraordinary dispute involving a reported multimillion-dollar donation to the Kennedy Center and one of the president’s former senior advisers. The controversy became public through an Axios report on October 14, which said Trump had directed White House counsel to examine allegations raised by Habba during a meeting at the White House. Habba reportedly told Trump that a donation her billionaire husband, Turkish businessman Turhan Mildon, intended for the Kennedy Center had not reached the institution.The amount at the centre of the dispute has varied in accounts of the episode. Axios reported that Habba initially cited a figure of $17 million, before the amount in question was narrowed to approximately $5.6 million. White House sources described it as nearly $6 million.The allegation involves Ric Grenell, the former president of the Kennedy Center and a longtime Trump ally. Habba alleged that Grenell had persuaded her husband to include a multimillion-dollar donation in a larger payment linked to a business deal involving a US company. She later discovered, according to the report, that the money did not appear in the Kennedy Center’s records.Grenell has strongly denied the allegations. He called them absurd and said he had never asked for money to be sent elsewhere under the pretence that it was a Kennedy Center donation. The White House has sought documentation to support the claims, and an official cautioned that the allegations had not been established and could reflect a misunderstanding.
Kristi Noem quietly moves to her third job
While some lose their jobs in the very first week in the administration, Kristi Noem quietly moves to his third job.
Former DHS secretary Kristi Noem quietly moved to her third job in the Trump administration. After she was fired from her DHS role, she was made a special envoy which expired last month. Now, she will continue working on similar matters, CNN reported. “Kristi Noem’s envoy status expired last month and she is no longer in the role,” the official said. “She is now a Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary Landau and continues to work on the Shield of the Americas portfolio.”Her ouster in March came after Noem told lawmakers that Trump approved of her agency’s lavish spending on an advertising campaign that prominently showcased her.Noem also filed for divorce from her husband Bryon Noem in September ending their 34 years of marriage.
Kimberly Guilfoyle : The ambassador whose tenure ended amid a donor-payment controversy
Kimberly Guilfoyle was shown no mercy because of her past relationship with Donald Trump Jr.
Kimberly Guilfoyle’s departure as US ambassador to Greece has become one of the most high-profile personnel controversies involving a Trump ally this month. A former Fox News host and California prosecutor, Guilfoyle was nominated for the diplomatic post after her engagement to Donald Trump Jr ended. She took up a role representing the United States in Athens, where she focused in part on energy cooperation and relations with Greece.But in October, reports about her dealings with a political donor placed her position under pressure. The Wall Street Journal reported that Guilfoyle had asked Trump donor Eric Deters to transfer $100,000 to cover her American Express bill before her confirmation hearing. According to the report, the messages suggested she would offer access to administration officials in return. Deters reportedly refused the request.The reporting also raised questions about travel and hospitality. The Wall Street Journal reported allegations involving private flights and luxury accommodation, while Guilfoyle’s lawyers said she had followed State Department rules and denied that she had done anything wrong. Her legal team argued that the money she sought related to unpaid fees for speaking engagements that predated her ambassadorial nomination.Trump initially said he was considering whether to fire Guilfoyle. On October 13, the White House announced that she had been asked to resign. She announced her departure within hours, saying the allegations were false and that she intended to vigorously defend her reputation.
