The recent departures of several officials from the Trump administration suggest the White House is seeking to purge compromising figures ahead of the midterm elections, after which Democrats could launch investigations into corruption and abuses of power.
In recent months, several officials have left the administration or been dismissed.
- The White House’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, was dismissed yesterday, October 16, just seven days after her nomination. She had been criticized for presenting herself as a lawyer without having passed the bar exam.
- The former ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, resigned on Tuesday the 13th, at the White House’s request. Last week, the Wall Street Journal revealed that she had asked a donor for $100,000, who claims that this amount was meant to guarantee her access to the administration .
- On Thursday the 15th, the special envoy for global partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, was also dismissed. Email exchanges show that the State Department’s deputy secretary, Christopher Landau, accused him of unauthorized business activities, “perhaps illegal” .
- Four officials of the Department of Homeland Security have also been dismissed or have left their posts amid suspicions of corruption or ethical misconduct since February: Secretary Kristi Noem, her adviser Corey Lewandowski, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin and Julia Varvaro.
- The former Secretary of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, for her part, resigned on April 20, amid an internal investigation. The inspector general’s report accuses her of using public funds for personal travel, and of failing to disclose certain gifts.
Cases and suspicions of corruption within the administration – but also among Trump confidants and his family – are being highlighted by Democrats in the campaign for the midterm elections. Some candidates, like Senator Jon Ossoff, who is seeking re-election in Georgia, directly link it to the rising cost of living: “This is not you, nor your fellow citizens… It is the corruption that prevents things from functioning for the American people” .
- A Fox News poll conducted from October 9 to 12 indicates that government corruption is the issue that concerns voters the most “extremely” (60%) – neck and neck with inflation and price increases (58%).
- This concern is shared even in the heart of the Trump base: 88% of Republicans identifying with the MAGA movement say they are extremely or very concerned about government corruption .
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House expected to become Speaker should Democrats win in November, has pledged to “hold crooks accountable.” A series of investigations targeting Trump, his family, and his administration are indeed in the works.
- The left wing of the party is expected to push for the president’s impeachment, whose fortune has risen substantially since he returned to power, in January 2025 .
- Thus, according to Forbes, Trump’s fortune has nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025, rising from $3.9 billion to $7.3 billion. The American president has also leveraged his influence and the tools of U.S. trade policy to advance his own interests and enrich his close associates.