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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
David Smith in Washington

‘Loyalty over all’: Trump was once known for constantly switching out his staff. Not any more

Donald Trump with secretary of state Marco Rubio, defense secretary Pete Hegseth and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick at a cabinet meeting on 9 October 2025.
Donald Trump with secretary of state Marco Rubio, defense secretary Pete Hegseth and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick at a cabinet meeting on 9 October 2025. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

For more than a decade he built his brand on two words: “You’re fired!” And in his first term in the White House, Donald Trump did not hesitate to show his staff the door, often via an abrasive tweet.

But since resuming the US presidency in January, Trump, the former host of the reality TV show The Apprentice, appears to have become an uncharacteristically bashful boss, more disposed to hiring than firing.

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