A Scene from the First Week of the Second Trump Administration
A scene from the first week of the second Trump administration: After the president held a White House event announcing a shared venture, with up to $500 billion of funding, among OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank to build a vast new data center for the artificial intelligence future, Elon Musk sniped on X that the money for the venture wasn’t really there.
Open Conflict Within the Trump White House
Asked if his billionaire ally’s snarking bothered him, the president shrugged it off: “No, it doesn’t. He hates one of the people in the deal.” This was reference to Musk’s conflicts with Sam Altman, the quietly polarizing head of OpenAI. And, President Trump added, “I have certain hatreds of people too.”
It was an illuminating moment, not just an amusing line. Every new administration has factions that end up hating one another despite being on the same official team. But the second Trump White House is starting out with a remarkable degree of open conflict between different individuals, constituencies and worldviews.
Not a Sign of Trump’s Weakness
This is not, however, a sign of Trump’s weakness. In his first term many people around him were just trying to drape some semblance of Washingtonian normalcy over presidential incapacity. The second time is different: Trump has set himself up as a king with a court where the main litmus test is personal loyalty, and so there are incentives for anyone who wants anything in America (except, yes, more undocumented immigration or more D.E.I. programs) to appear before him as a courtier, risking their dignity in the hopes of winning favors from the throne.
Internal Wars to Watch
Protectionists vs. Wall Street
Notably, Trump’s initial slew of executive actions did not include the big tariffs he has promised to impose on rivals and neighbors alike. His own protectionist desires are clear enough, but his court is full of financial elites whispering warnings about not going too far, not disturbing the stock market, finding a more modest way to play William McKinley.
Middle East Hawks Against Realists and Doves
Trump’s first term delivered a foreign policy that mostly pleased Iran hawks and left little daylight between the United States and Israel. His recent moves, however, are unsettling the hawkish portion of his court: the cease-fire pressure he put on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, a set of realist-leaning appointees, and his petty and unconscionable removal of Secret Service protection for Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and Brian Hook, all potential Iranian targets because of their role as hawks in his first term.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vs. the Future
Kennedy is a one-man conflict machine — pro-choice in a pro-life party, a critic of agribusiness in a party that depends on Plains state votes. But the deepest tension is between his holistic, anti-corporate vision and the tech accelerationism of Trump’s Silicon Valley allies.
Conclusion
The internal conflicts within the Trump White House are a sign of the president’s strength, not weakness. The courtiers are fighting for influence and power, and the stakes are high. The outcome of these conflicts will shape the future of the administration and the country.
FAQs
Q: What is the significance of the OpenAI announcement?
A: The OpenAI announcement marked the beginning of a new era in artificial intelligence, with a potential investment of up to $500 billion. It also sparked controversy, with Elon Musk questioning the funding.
Q: What is the conflict between protectionists and Wall Street?
A: The conflict is over the level of tariffs to be imposed on rivals and neighbors. Protectionists want more significant tariffs, while Wall Street is warning against going too far and disturbing the stock market.
Q: What is the tension between Middle East hawks and realists and doves?
A: The tension is over Trump’s foreign policy, which has pleased Iran hawks but also unsettled realists and doves. The hawkish portion of the court is concerned about the president’s recent moves, including the cease-fire pressure on Israel and the removal of Secret Service protection for hawkish officials.
Q: What is the conflict between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the future?
A: The conflict is between Kennedy’s holistic, anti-corporate vision and the tech accelerationism of Trump’s Silicon Valley allies. Kennedy is critical of the use of A.I. to design new personalized mRNA vaccines, while some courtiers see this as a key to the future.
