President-elect Donald Trump is once again proving he’s learned a lesson or two from the first time he was in the White House, as his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, has issued a directive for all of his incoming administration nominees that require confirmation by the Senate to immediately cease from posting on social media. This is a super wise idea. It helps avoid the possibility of saying something incriminating or stupid that could provide fodder for Democrats and establishment Republicans to justify voting against their confirmation.
“While this instruction has been delivered previously, I am reiterating that no member of the incoming administration or Transition speaks for the United States or the President-elect himself,” Wiles stated over the weekend in a memo obtained by the New York Post. “Accordingly, all intended nominees should refrain from any public social media posts without prior approval of the incoming White House counsel,” she continued.
She then took a more positive approach in the memo stating she’s appreciative of “how enthusiastic everyone is” about getting on board Trump’s administration.
🚨 NEW: All of Trump's nominees must stop posting on social media ahead of the Senate confirmation hearings, incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles ordered – NYP pic.twitter.com/Rrmx42dy0x
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 30, 2024
Check out more from The Western Journal:
A review of the X accounts for those who are expected to be Trump’s more controversial nominees — such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the secretary of Health and Human Services, Tulsi Gabbard for director of National Intelligence, and Pete Hegseth for secretary of Defense — showed they appear to be heeding the order. RFK Jr.’s most recent post — made on Friday — talked about a ski trip in Aspen, Colorado, and included a photo.
Epic day on Ajax with Finn, Aidan, Conor and race legend Bode Miller, history’s greatest Alpine skier. pic.twitter.com/8P8iPQwSTD
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) December 27, 2024
Gabbard took a photo with her husband and shared it on social media on Wednesday that featured a Christmas message to her followers.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on this beautiful Christmas Day, we send you our aloha, gratitude and well wishes 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/IRbr5b2OIr
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) December 25, 2024
And Hegseth reposted supportive words from Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna on Thursday.
Maj. Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) lead men in combat. The personal sacrifice our war fighters face is not a concept to him. It's a reality. His eagerness to continue literally leading from the front should not be taken lightly. He will continue to have the weight of the world on his…
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) December 26, 2024
The confirmation hearings are scheduled to begin next week once the new Congress is sworn in. Republicans will end up holding a majority, 53 to 47, which means that if every Democrat votes against a particular nominee, they can still lose up to three GOP votes and be confirmed thanks to Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.
“Wiles — who co-chaired Trump’s disciplined and successful presidential campaign — likely wants to run a very tight messaging ship as the new administration’s nominees work their way through the Senate confirmation process,” Randy DeSoto wrote in the article. “Trump made history in November when he announced that Wiles would be the first woman to serve as a White House chief of staff.”
“Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again,” the president-elect went on to say at the time.